DETROIT – Detroit police Chief James Craig shared more information Thursday about a crash that left an off-duty officer and his girlfriend dead.
The crash happened around 3:30 a.m. Thursday on Woodward Avenue at the State Fair intersection.
James Hearn, 27, and his girlfriend, who was in the front passenger seat, were killed. Hearn's 11-year-old daughter was in the back seat of the vehicle, but only suffered minor injuries.
Witnesses told police the vehicle was not speeding when it veered off the road and crashed into a light standard or pole.
Hearn was a 4 1/2-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department. Craig said he had been out fishing with his daughter during the day.
"Another tragedy," Craig said. "I will tell you that we lose a lot of the good ones. James is what I would call the ultimate community police officer. He loved his job."
Hearn worked at the 12th Precinct for the first 3 1/2 years of his career and then moved to the waterfront at the Downtown Services Precinct, Craig said. He worked on crowd control and traffic on Jefferson Avenue.
He was also very involved in the police athletic league, Craig said. Hearn had worked at a PAL event during the day before fishing with his daughter. He was scheduled to work Thursday.
The investigation is ongoing, Craig said.