Oxnard police officer, a Camarillo resident, killed in traffic accidentFree Access

CHP to investigate



Courtesy OPD
Nathan Martin

Nathan Martin, a Camarillo resident and 20-year veteran with the Oxnard Police Department, was killed in a traffic collision Wednesday, police said.

Oxnard police Chief Scott Whitney announced at a news conference Wednesday night that Martin, 45, died of his injuries at a hospital after the crash at around 4 p.m. Wednesday.

Martin was driving his motorcycle east on Third Street in Oxnard, less than a mile from the police station, when a semi-tractor trailer truck near Campton Drive made a left turn in front of Martin.

He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The California Highway Patrol will investigate the cause of the collision, Whitney said.

Oxnard police officials said in a statement that “several of the first responders on scene were close personal friends with officer Martin and are obviously devastated.” The department is offering counseling to help deal with the incident, and police chaplains have been at the police station since the accident to assist fellow officers.

Martin, who was assigned as the school resource officer at Hueneme High School, had also served previous assignments as a patrol officer, property crimes investigator and traffic officer, Whitney said.

Martin is survived by his wife and three children.

“He was a good man, he worked hard for the city, he was committed to his job,” Whitney said. “He had many friends in the department.”

This article was edited Jan. 30, 2020 at 10:18 a.m. to show the truck turned left in front of Martin.