LAPD officer, Mission Viejo man killed in O.C. motorcyle collision

An off-duty Los Angeles police officer was one of two people killed after three motorcycles collided near Irvine Lake in Orange County, authorities said Tuesday.

Officer Kent Carter, 60, of Rowland Heights was driving northbound on Santiago Canyon Road south of Jeffrey Road on Sunday when his 2007 Suzuki motorcycle veered into oncoming traffic.

He collided with Miles McCune, 24, of Mission Viejo, who was driving his 1999 Honda motorcycle northbound.

A third motorcycle -- a male driver and female passenger driving a 2007 Honda southbound on Santiago Canyon Road -- hit Carter a second time.

Carter and McCune were pronounced dead at the scene. The man and woman in the 2007 Honda were ejected from the motorcycle and hospitalized with serious injuries.

The California Highway Patrol is investigating the collision.

Carter, an officer with the LAPD Emergency Operations Division, had worked for the department since 1981. He started as a patrol and vice officer and later worked as a training officer. He had been assigned to the LAPD’s Labor Relations Division since 1998.

LAPD Lt. Andrew Neiman said in a statement that Carter was “the most gracious, warm and considerate individual I have ever met. He loved his family, loved life and was looking forward to a wonderful retirement in a year. His passing will create a huge void in the Department.”

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Comments

[john]

Heart attack????

[latimesreader]

The story reads like it was his own fault. Too bad some innocent schmuck bought the farm as well.

[nubrontown]

Kent Carter was a great person. He was what the LAPD stood for. This is a sad day for the department. Kent trained many of the cops in the department. I can say is wow.

[Jack - CHS 1968]

Kent Carter will be missed.

Kent graduated from Cathedral High School 1968. He played on the varsity football team. I believe Kent played pro football for the New England Patriots and later he played in Canada.

Kent Carter our prayers are for you and your family.
Phantoms

[Ross]

We will learn soon enough if he was indeed speeding....a bit of information left out of the LA Times article...and if he had been drinking.

Once that information is released, we can talk about what a great considerate guy he was or how horrible it was that he selfishly took another person's life.

[9/88]

Ken Carter was my DI at the academy in 1988. He was a fair man and everyone respected him. RIP

[u know]

Wait a second, all I've heard from the masses crying on this website is that cops get to retire at age 50 with 90 percent of their pension.....COULD THEY BE WRONG?

[Tami]

Carter was simply a wonderful person. To all the cop haters with nasty comments, grow up. You will never have the nerve to do half the job this man did.