A man allegedly driving over 100 miles per hour has been charged with murder in the fatal crash that killed an off-duty Los Angeles Police Department sergeant and another motorist on the 405 Freeway.
Mario Joseph Bickham, 36, faces two counts of murder for the deaths of LAPD Sgt. Shiou Deng and Jesus Garcia, 34. Prosecutors allege Bickham was traveling at approximately 112 miles per hour near the Getty Center exit on June 23, 2025, around 2 a.m. when he struck Sgt. Deng, who had pulled over to assist Garcia, according to court records.
Sgt. Deng, a 26-year veteran of the LAPD, was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after the collision. Garcia, 34, was reportedly on his way home from work when his vehicle was hit by an unidentified hit-and-run driver, and Sgt. Deng had stopped to render aid, according to Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman.
Court documents indicate that another vehicle had swerved to avoid Garcia's car just before Sgt. Deng arrived. Multiple other vehicles successfully navigated around the disabled vehicles before Bickham's high-speed impact. Prosecutors stated Bickham has a history of excessive speeding, including being cited for driving 105 miles per hour the month prior to the incident, and has been involved in multiple accidents since 2014.
District Attorney Hochman noted that Bickham's driving record was a factor in the decision to pursue murder charges. California Highway Patrol investigators spent months reconstructing the scene to determine Bickham's precise speed. CHP Southern Division Chief Chris Margaris described the crash as a "preventable tragedy caused by a conscious disregard for the safety of others," emphasizing that Bickham's speed meant he covered "almost half a football field every second."
Sgt. Deng, who had been assigned to the LAPD's Mental Evaluation Unit, is survived by his wife and stepdaughter and was the primary caregiver for his elderly parents. Colleagues remembered him as a dedicated officer who embodied the department's core values and consistently put others before himself. If convicted, Bickham faces a potential life sentence.
