Holly MatkinRedding, CA – California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) Correctional Officer Richard Bianchi died in the line of duty on June 25 as he was responding to a Redding area hospital to guard an inmate.
The 53-year-old correctional officer was traveling on Highway 44 when the single-vehicle rollover crash occurred in the early morning hours, the CDCR said in a press release on Saturday.
California Highway Patrol troopers found Correctional Officer Bianchi dead at the scene.
He was the only person in the vehicle at the time of the crash, according to the Record Searchlight.
The exact cause of the fatal collision remains under investigation, according to the CDCR.
“My prayers go out to Correctional Officer Bianchi’s family, friends and co-workers on behalf of myself and the entire CDCR family,” CDCR Secretary Ralph Diaz said in a statement.
“Correctional Officer Bianchi’s death is felt through this entire department,” Diaz continued. “His service to California was largely unseen by the citizens of this state but his daily work and dedication will not be forgotten be his peers and myself.”
Correctional Officer Bianchi joined the CDCR on Oct. 18, 2010, according to his department.
He had been working at the High Desert State Prison (HDSP) since February of 2011.
“Our sincerest condolences are extended to the Bianchi family, friends and loved ones,” HDSP Acting Warden Jason Pickett said in the press release. “Correctional Officer Bianchi was a consummate professional and an excellent member of the HDSP team. He and his family will be in our thoughts and we thank him for his selfless service.”
Correctional Officer Bianchi leaves behind his wife and his two adult children.
The CDCR family is in mourning over the death of High Desert State Prison Correctional Officer Richard Bianchi, who died in a single-vehicle crash early in the morning on June 25 while on his way to provide security coverage at a Redding hospital. https://t.co/OIXwFIRJMx
— CA Corrections (@CACorrections) June 29, 2020
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Correctional Officer Richard Bianchi, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.
Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.
