Long Pham Obituary, Death – The San Jose Police Department has identified the individual alleged to have struck and killed an officer while injuring another in a suspected DUI incident over the weekend. Juan Huerta-Palacios, aged 44, has been arrested on charges of gross vehicular manslaughter and felony DUI, as stated in a release from the police department on Monday.
According to police reports, at approximately 9:55 p.m. on Saturday, two Community Service Officers were managing traffic in the vicinity of Monterey Road and Palm Avenue due to an unrelated vehicle accident.
Investigators revealed that a 2022 silver Dodge Charger, driven by Huerta-Palacios, was heading south on Monterey Road when it breached a flare pattern and collided with the officers’ 2017 white Ford Fusion CSO vehicle, which was stationed in the south crosswalk at the intersection of Monterey Road and Palm Avenue.
Both officers received immediate medical attention; however, one of them, Officer Long Pham, succumbed to his injuries at a local hospital. The other officer, a female, was also taken to the hospital with significant injuries, which were later assessed by medical professionals as non-life threatening.
Acting Police Chief Paul Joseph expressed the department’s sorrow, stating, “Our entire Police family is heartbroken by this line of duty loss, and our collective arms are around his family, friends, and teammates during this unimaginable time. We are also praying for our sister who is still hospitalized with serious injuries.”
Authorities reported that Huerta-Palacios was apprehended and subsequently transported to a local hospital for an unrelated medical concern, with plans to book him into the Santa Clara County Jail following his discharge.
Individuals with information regarding the incident are encouraged to reach out to the San Jose Police Department’s Traffic Investigations Unit at (408) 277-4654 or via email at 4461@sanjoseca.gov.
