(Photo courtesy California Highway Patrol)
A stretch of Interstate 505 will forever be named in honor of a California Highway Patrol (CHP) officer who was killed during a traffic stop nearly three years ago.
On Thursday, the CHP held an official freeway dedication ceremony in Vacaville in honor of Kirk A. Griess, during which the memorial sign bearing his name was unveiled to the public.
In August 2018, Griess was conducting a traffic stop along Interstate 80 in Fairfield when a pick-up truck slammed into him and another motorist, killing them both.
Earlier this month, the driver of the pick-up truck agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges of gross vehicular homicide. The plea agreement came after prosecutors said the driver appeared to be suffering from a medical condition at the time of the crash; they previously accused him of driving while using his cellphone, a fact that was not disputed.
In early 2019, state lawmakers approved a plan to dedicate a stretch of Interstate 505 between the Interstate 80 interchange and Vaca Valley Parkway in honor of Griess. As part of the dedication, local groups are required to raise funds for the creation and installation of at least two freeway signs — one in each direction of traffic — so that state agencies do not incur any costs.
On Thursday, that sign was officially unveiled at a ceremony held at Valley Church in Vacaville.
“The memorial highway dedication is the highest honor bestowed by California’s governor and the legislature,” Amanda Roy, the commissioner of the CHP, said at the event. “It is the act of naming a portion of a highway in honor of individuals who provided extraordinary public service to their community.”
Griess was affectionately known by his colleagues, family and friends as “Hollywood.” In true fashion, Hollywood actor Erik Estrada — who rose to prominence for his lead role in the NBC crime drama “CHiPs” loosely based off the CHP — was in attendance at the memorial on Thursday.
"The memory of Officer Griess will forever be forged in our hearts," a CHP spokesperson said in a statement.
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