Suspect in wreck that killed Modesto police sergeant identified

Update: The off-duty Modesto police sergeant killed in a crash while bicycling near his east Modesto home Tuesday evening has been identified as Mike Pershall, 38, who’d been with the department since November 2012.

Original story follows. Check back for more:

A 32-year-old Modesto man, Matthew Gibbs, is being held without bail in a DUI-related crash that killed an off-duty Modesto police sergeant on Tuesday evening.

Gibbs faces a homicide charge and two charges related to driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and causing great bodily injury.

The sergeant’s name has not been released, but the California Highway Patrol reported that he was 38 years old. CHP spokesman Officer Thomas Olsen said Tuesday that the sergeant had been with the department since 2012. He previously served with the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s office.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, the collision was reported on Merle Avenue, west of Fine Avenue. Emergency personnel found the sergeant, who’d been riding a bicycle west along the north edge of Merle, lying in a westbound lane. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gibbs was driving a Volkswagen coupe west on Merle and struck the rear of the sergeant’s bike, ejecting him, the CHP said. The Volkswagen drove up onto the north curb, struck a fire hydrant and came to a stop along the north shoulder of Merle Avenue, west of the collision scene.

Gibbs was taken into custody by the CHP after he displayed signs of impairment. He was booked into the Stanislaus County Jail.

Investigators remained on the scene for several hours after the accident. Modesto police officers were joined by Stanislaus County Sheriff’s deputies.

Court records show Gibbs in 2015 had a misdemeanor DUI case that was dismissed.

We’ll have more information as it’s available.

This story was originally published August 23, 2017 at 6:50 AM with the headline "Suspect in wreck that killed Modesto police sergeant identified."