Canyon Lake jumps in to assist family of fallen police deputy

The tragic news of Canyon Hills resident Brian Haney dying in a single-car traffic accident Thursday last week spread quickly throughout the Canyon Lake community. It was first reported that Brian and his family were residents of Canyon Lake. Regardless, City of Canyon Lake Mayor Jeremy Smith opened up city hall as a meeting place for grieving family members and Orange County Sheriff’s Department personnel to gather to obtain and share news of the accident.

The fatal accident occurred as Brian was returning from his all-night Orange County Sheriff’s deputy job. Brian, 32, leaves a wife, Leslee, and a month-old son, Cole. He was returning from his first day back on the job after being off for paternity leave.

The crash took place on Railroad Canyon Road near Canyon Hills Road at 5:15 a.m. in a median there. Brian’s car had struck a tree. The cause of the accident is under investigation. Railroad Canyon Road was fully closed to traffic from Grape Street to Canyon Hills Drive until just after noon while the crash was cleared and investigated.

Shortly after the news of the accident reached Jeremy, he directed the space where the old library was housed at city hall to be opened to Brian’s family and friends.24

Later in the morning, when Brian’s body was transported to the coroner’s office in Perris, an impressive procession of dozens of police officers on motorcycles escorted the hearse through Canyon Lake on Railroad Canyon Road.

A Go Fund Me has been set up for Brian’s surviving wife and child. It has raised well over $100,000.

Police on motorcycles escort the hearse carrying the body of Brian Haney to the coroner’s office in Perris. Some Canyon Lake residents and friends waved flags along Railroad Canyon Road as the procession passed. Photo from screen capture of city-posted video.

Brian Haney, shown here with his wife Leslee and one-month-old son Cole, died last week in an accident on Railroad Canyon Road. The Canyon Hills resident was a sheriff’s deputy on his way home from an all-night shift in Orange County when the accident occurred. Photo provided by Go Fund Me.