Crash Spurs Study of Police Motorcycle Unit

City officials said Wednesday they will review the safety record of the Placentia police motorcycle division in the wake of an accident that left two officers injured, one of whom remains in critical condition.

Councilman Norman Eckenrode said he will request a report from the Police Department to help determine if changes are needed in the 25-year-old division.

Officer Larry Worden, who suffered massive head injuries, remained in a coma at UCI Medical Center in Orange, where family members and officers kept a 24-hour vigil. The coma was induced by doctors in an effort to prevent further brain damage.

Worden and his partner, Mike Roach, were injured when a car clipped Worden’s motorcycle on Rose Drive in Brea, sending him sprawling into Roach’s motorcycle. Roach suffered a broken shoulder when his motorcycle went down. He will likely be released from the hospital today.

Accidents involving motorcycle units in other cities have prompted new safety training programs for officers. In a few cases, motorcycles units have been disbanded altogether.

Fountain Valley cut its unit in the mid-1980s after a series of accidents and concerns about insurance liability. The city has since reinstated the unit, but with added training for officers.

Placentia city officials do not believe such drastic measures are needed but stressed they will aggressively review the safety and insurance issues. “If it’s a situation that needs to be looked at, we’ll make changes,” said City Administrator Robert D’Amato.

Such reviews are usually conducted after major accidents, he added.

To minimize the safety risk, Councilwoman Maria Moreno said she will propose that officers from the motorcycle unit be switched to patrol cars during some months, including November and December.

“There are too many drivers rushing around, trying to buy gifts,” she said. “Also there’s an increase in drinking and driving. And the weather is often bad.”

The department’s four-bike unit has recorded five motorcycle-related accidents since it was formed in the mid-1970s, according to Sgt. Kim Redifer, head of the motorcycle division. All of the accidents, he said, were the fault of other motorists, and most did not result in serious injuries.

Police Chief Daryll Thomann called the motorcycle unit, which focuses on traffic enforcement, a crucial element in his department. “We feel they are very important, especially in times of accidents and congested traffic when they can get through to areas that patrol cars have a hard time getting to,” he said.

Motorcycle officers, he said, take special driving classes before joining the unit and also undergo routine training.

“All of our officers are mindful of the fact that they are very vulnerable out there. They try to drive defensively and try to anticipate potential moves that motorists might make,” he said. “But unfortunately sometimes it happens so fast that no amount of training and no amount of anticipation will be able to prevent them from getting into an accident.”

The Tuesday accident is under investigation by Brea police, and no one has been cited, according to Placentia police spokeswoman Corinne Loomis.

The motorcycle accident was Worden’s second since he joined the force. In 1993, he was thrown from his motorcycle en route to a burglary.

Worden’s most recent accident has prompted an outpouring of generosity and good wishes from the community. On Wednesday morning, Worden’s fourth-grade school teacher called the station for an update, while officers and staff collected gifts for Worden, his wife Laurie and their three sons, Michael, 11, Matthew, 10, and Ryan, 7.

Times correspondent Crystal Carreon contributed to this report.