Oxnard police officer killed in off-duty motorcycle crash, officials say

OXNARD, Calif. (KABC) -- The Oxnard Police Department is in mourning after an off-duty officer was killed in a motorcycle accident Wednesday night.

The crash happened around 4 p.m. in the area of Third Street and Campton Drive.

When officers arrived, they discovered the victim was someone they knew - Officer Nathan Martin.

The 45-year-old was off-duty on his personal motorcycle driving home from the station after work when a tractor trailer turned left in front of him, Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney said.

"Several of the first responders on scene were close personal friends of Officer Martin and are obviously devastated," Whitney said.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.

Martin was a 20-year veteran of the department, with a brother who is also an officer. He is survived by a wife, Marita, and three children.

He had a variety of assignments at the department, including patrol and property crimes investigation. He was most recently working as a school resource officer at Hueneme High School. He had left the school an hour before the crash, went to the station and then was heading home.

"It's a terrible and dark day for everyone here at the city of Oxnard and the Oxnard Police Department," Whitney said.