A man who was killed in Escondido, California, when the motorcycle he was riding went off a road and struck a light pole has been identified as a longtime captain in the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, authorities said May 17.
The 55-year-old Derrin Austin’s most recent assignment was at the San Diego International Airport Fire Station, according to a statement posted by the fire department on Instagram. Austin joined the department in 1990 and had served as a captain since 2002.
“Derrin was known as a devoted friend and colleague—a man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it,” the statement read.
The single-vehicle crash was reported at around 10 p.m. on May 14 in the 600 block of North Escondido Boulevard just north of Washington Avenue, according to the Escondido Police Department.
Arriving officers found Austin unresponsive and began CPR, police said. Paramedics rushed him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The cause of the fatal crash is still being investigated, according to authorities.
Besides his role at the fire department, Austin served in the U.S. Naval Construction Force—also known as Seabee—for nearly 30 years.
“One of his Navy colleagues says Derrin valued those he supervised and provided mentorship as well as making sure they had what they needed to be successful at work,” the statement read.
The Fire-Rescue Department said that they are working with Austin’s family to plan a memorial to honor him.
Anyone with information about the crash was asked to call Officer Jake Houchin at 760-839-4704.
