DPS officer dies after driving off road

Travis Amsbaugh, a Dept. of Public Safety officer who served two tours in Afghanistan, died early Thursday morning in a single car collision in south Orange County. He was 26.

Service · Dept. of Public Safety officer Travis Arnsbaugh served two tours in Afganistan before going to the Rio Hondo Police Academy. - Photo Courtesy of David Carlisle

“DPS is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Officer Amsbaugh,” DPS Chief Carey Drayton said in an email. “Although he was relatively new to the department, he was quickly embraced by our officers, and he was a valued member of the Trojan Family.”

DPS Capt. David Carlisle said a witness at the accident reported that Amsbaugh’s car drifted off the side of the road and fell into a ditch. The cause of the accident is unknown. Amsbaugh was pronounced dead at the scene, Denise Quesada, a California Highway Patrol officer, told the Orange County Register.

A graduate of the Rio Hondo Police Academy and an avid Oakland A’s fan, Amsbaugh joined DPS in July 2011 as part of an expansion of DPS’ field training, Carlisle said. He was in his second phase of training.

Before joining DPS, Amsbaugh served in the Marine Corps for six years.

His friends remember him as a “friendly, outgoing [and] well-liked guy,” Carlisle said.

Amsbaugh is survived by his mother and father who live in Northern California. DPS said on its website that they will announce funeral arrangements when the information is available.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends,” Drayton said.

DPS has lost two employees over the last month. David Beeler, a security system engineer, suffered from an untimely heart attack in early August.