A Marin County (CA) deputy sheriff was killed responding to an emergency call early Thursday after his vehicle hit a tree along Highway 1 north of Point Reyes Station.
The deputy was identified as Ryan Zirkle, 24, of Petaluma. He was a 2011 graduate of San Marin High School in Novato, where he was a standout athlete in football, basketball and baseball.
Marin County Sheriff Robert Doyle made the announcement later in the day with teary-eyed law enforcement officers standing shoulder-to-shoulder at the back of the room.
Zirkle had been a deputy for 2 and a half years. He is survived by his mother and father, two older brothers and a fiance.
According to a preliminary investigation by the California Highway Patrol, Zirkle lost control of his car as it entered a left curve in the road on Highway 1 north of Point Reyes Station at about midnight. The car, which was traveling south, careened off the right side of the road.
Doyle said it was not raining at the time but the road was wet. He said Zirkle was responding to a call in which someone called 911 and hung up without saying what the problem was. Authorities were able to pinpoint where the call came from.