Huntington Beach Police honor the first of three fallen officers with a ‘street sign’ memorial
On a wet autumn morning in 1928, Huntington Beach police officers W.L. Evans and Leo Roy “LeRoy” Darst were responding to a car crash when they themselves became crash victims.
While driving southbound on Main Street, Evans lost control of his vehicle in the pouring rain and swerved into oncoming traffic.
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Knocked unconscious, Darst died of a skull fracture the following day, Oct. 13. He had served on the police force less than a week.
Leaving behind his wife and two daughters, Darst, 43, was the first Huntington Beach police officer to die in the line of duty.
Ninety years later, Darst has not been forgotten. On Saturday morning, Oct. 13, police and city officials gathered at the scene of the collision, Main and Crest streets, to honor the fallen officer.
There, Chief Robert Handy unveiled a memorial resembling a street sign. The blue-and-black placard features Darst’s name and an image of the badge worn in the department in 1928. It also includes the date of his death with the words, “End of watch.”
Saturday’s ceremony was the first in a series. Over its 109-year history, Huntington Beach has lost three public safety officers in the line of duty – all to traffic accidents.
Orange County Sheriff’s Deputy Erza Stanley died on Nov. 19, 1940, and Huntington Beach Police Officer Leslie James Prince died on Dec. 1, 1974. Over the next two months, they also will be commemorated on the anniversaries of their deaths.
Both men were hit by drunken drivers – Prince, while directing traffic during a power outage.
Handy decided to create the street signs after hearing about similar remembrances in other cities, said Lt. David Dereszynski, who heads the committee overseeing the ceremonies.
“The signs give citizens, as they drive by, an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices police officers make to their communities,” Dereszynski said.
His committee members searched old newspaper articles, death certificates, the Ancestory.com website and other documents to track down family members and write biographies about the officers.They could not find any surviving relatives to invite to Darst’s ceremony.
“A lot has changed about Huntington Beach since 1928, but a lot has remained the same,” Dereszynski said. “What hasn’t changed is that we continue to do everything we can to protect our residents and keep our city safe.”