By Melissa Pinion-Whitt
The San Bernardino County Sun
FONTANA, Calif. — An off-duty Fontana police officer riding a motorcycle died Monday after he hit a tractor-trailer that had pulled out in front of him on Foothill Boulevard, authorities said.
Jose Molina Jr., 28, a graveyard patrol officer, was riding east on Foothill when he struck the trailer of the big rig near Almond Avenue. The truck had just pulled out of the WinCo Foods supermarket to make a left turn. The impact threw Molina off the bike, and he suffered "catastrophic injuries," said California Highway Patrol Officer Sean Cooper.
Police said Molina was off work; he was due back Monday night. Fontana police Sgt. Jeff Decker said he believed Molina, who lived in Fontana, was riding home at the time of the 2:27 a.m. crash.
"There are a lot of people feeling the pain this morning," Decker said.
Decker said he knew Molina well through patrol and working out with him at the gym.
"He was big on staying in good physical condition," Decker said.
Fontana police called in chaplains to provide counseling to Molina's fellow officers.
The California Highway Patrol's Major Accident Investigation Team examined the scene for several hours Monday, taking measurements and marking evidence. Officers shut down Foothill Boulevard between Mulberry and Cherry avenues.
Officers laid orange evidence markers beside debris around Molina's smashed black 2005 Yamaha motorcycle. A small yellow tarp was in the middle of the street near the bike, and another tarp was under the big rig, which was closer to Cherry Avenue on the dirt shoulder. Molina's black and silver helmet sat near the bike on the side of the road.
The truck driver, Vicente Gallegos, 40, of Firebaugh, was not cited because the cause of the crash remained under investigation. He was not injured.
Molina, who started with the Fontana Police Department as a cadet in 1997 and was hired as an officer in 1999, worked on the department's Multiple Enforcement Team before recently transferring back to patrol. He is survived by his wife and two children, who are both under 5, Decker said.
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