Murder charges filed against speeding driver who killed LAPD officer on 405 Freeway
Mario Joseph Bickham, 36, faces two murder counts after allegedly driving at 112 mph and striking LAPD Sgt. Shiou Deng on the 405 Freeway in June 2025.
Driver charged with murder after 112 mph crash kills LAPD sergeant on Los Angeles freeway
A Los Angeles man has been charged with murder following a high-speed collision on the 405 Freeway that killed a police sergeant who had stopped to assist a stranded motorist. According to latimes.com, Mario Joseph Bickham, 36, was charged Monday with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of LAPD Sgt. Shiou Deng and Jesus Garcia, 34.
Prosecutors allege Bickham was travelling at 112 mph near the Getty Center exit at approximately 2 a.m. on 23 June 2025 when he struck Deng, who had pulled over and exited his vehicle to aid Garcia. Deng was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital shortly afterwards.
Garcia had been heading home from a shift at Whole Foods when a hit-and-run driver — who remains unidentified — struck his vehicle. Deng activated his lights and siren after pulling up to assist. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman said a separate vehicle travelling at 70 mph had already crashed into a median barrier to avoid hitting Garcia before Deng arrived. More than 30 other motorists managed to avoid the scene before Bickham approached at speed, according to court records.
Hochman said Bickham's prior driving record was central to the decision to file a murder charge. One month before the fatal crash, a California Highway Patrol officer had cited Bickham for driving at 105 mph. Court records also show he had been involved in multiple vehicle accidents dating back to 2014, though he had no other criminal history.
"This is not an individual who all of a sudden woke up one day and this was the first time he ever hit a speed over 100 miles per hour," Hochman said.
CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris said investigators spent months reconstructing the crash before prosecutors moved to file charges. Margaris described the collision as entirely preventable.
"This was an absolute tragedy because it was a preventable crash caused by a conscious disregard for the safety of others," Margaris said. He added that at Bickham's recorded speed, his vehicle was covering the equivalent of nearly half a football field every second.
It was not immediately clear who was representing Bickham or when he would make his first court appearance. If convicted on all charges, he could face life in prison.
Deng, a 26-year veteran of the LAPD, spent much of his career with the department's Mental Evaluation Unit, a specialised team that supports officers responding to crisis calls. He is survived by his wife and stepdaughter, and had been the primary caretaker for his elderly parents at the time of his death, department officials said.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell paid tribute to Deng at a news conference on Monday.
"He was known for putting others before himself and never seeking recognition and always showing up for those who needed help," McDonnell said.
Colleagues remembered Deng as an officer who maintained a positive attitude throughout his career, including during demanding assignments as a gang officer in the city's south end. Following his death, scores of mourners gathered outside the West Los Angeles station where Deng was based to honour his service.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)