Daniel Duffield lost his life in a hit-and-run motorcycle crash on the 91 Freeway in Anaheim at the end of August. The California Highway Patrol is still looking for an older two-door white Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck believed to be involved in the crash.
At 11:05 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, Officers with Santa Ana’s CHP office were dispatched to the 91 Freeway westbound, west of Gypsum Canyon Road, after receiving reports of a motorcycle down in the #1 lane, the lane furthest to the left, according to a news release from the agency.
The motorcycle driver was found dead in the #2 lane next to his blue and green 2024 Kawasaki Ninja 500 motorcycle, which had major damage.
Daniel Duffield, 45, was heading home to his apartment in Lake Forest that Friday night after spending time in Riverside County with his brother, Dennis Duffield.
The two brothers went to see a movie at the Eastvale Regal Cinemas theater and returned to Dennis’ residence in Norco to watch another movie.
“My ring camera shows he left at 10:49 p.m., so approximately 15 minutes later… is when the collision occurred and Daniel did not survive,” Dennis said.
“I wanted him to know how much I appreciated our hangout. So I just said, ‘I love you, bro.’ and he looked back at me and said, ‘I love you too, man.’ … who could have known that was going to be the last time I got to hear from my brother and tell him that I love him?” said Dennis when recalling the night of his brother’s crash.
Dennis is asking the driver to come forward and turn themselves in to authorities. “I hope that the person has so much guilt in their heart… and decide ‘I need to turn myself in,”‘ he said.
“I would admire that in a way. They would still need to pay for what they did but… I think they could find a path to redemption that way,” said Dennis.
Dennis described his brother as a smart, generous go-getter who pursued his dreams.
“He was a devout Christian, he gave his life to Jesus and he was baptized on Easter this year,” he said.
The Duffields come from a military family. And in 1999, Daniel enlisted in the Navy. He was an active duty sailor who maintained the rank of an E5 sonar technician petty officer second class aboard the USS John Paul Jones, a guided missile destroyer.
After the 9/11 attack in 2001, then president George W. Bush directed the John Paul Jones to launch Tomahawk missiles into Afghanistan on Oct. 7, 2001, as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, marking the beginning of the U.S. war in Afghanistan.
“My brother’s literally a combat veteran and war hero,” said Dennis Duffield.
Daniel was honorably discharged in 2003 after serving the entirety of his four-year-long enlistment contract.
Later on, Daniel became an attorney in 2018 to help other veterans, his brother Dennis said. “Instead of becoming a big shot attorney… he decided to use his lawyer skills to help indigent veterans, and that’s what he did,” said Dennis.
Daniel was laid to rest on Sept. 17 at the Riverside National Cemetery. He was given a proper military funeral honor with a 21 gun salute, flag folding, and the playing of Taps, said Dennis.
“Danny mattered, his life mattered. He deserves to still be alive today,” Dennis said.
CHP officers obtained dash camera footage taken the night of Aug. 30 from a driver that shows an older white pick up truck fleeing the scene. Sergio Rivera, a PIO with Santa Ana’s CHP office, said it’s believed the vehicle is a fairly uncommon early 2000s Chevrolet Silverado two-door model.
Rivera said the truck would have major damage to the passenger side.
It is currently unknown if drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash.
The CHP is asking the public for help in identifying the driver and vehicle involved in the crash. Anyone with any information was asked to contact Santa Ana’s CHP office at (714) 338-5500. The public can also anonymously email information to [email protected]
