Heavy traffic expected surrounding Save Mart Center throughout the day
The funeral for two fallen California Highway Patrol officers, one of them a Fresno State alumnus, is scheduled for 10 a.m. today at the Save Mart Center.
Officers Juan Gonzalez, 33, and Brian Law, 34, died one week ago on duty while responding to a car accident on Highway 99 near Kingsburg.
Both officers were riding in the same cruiser, which Officer Gonzalez was driving. The accident was incorrectly reported in the northbound lanes, and when they arrived on scene Officer Gonzalez swerved to avoid hitting victim in the soutbound travel lane. The patrol cruiser hit the guardrail and overturned. Both officers died on the scene of the accident.
Officers Law and Gonzalez both served with the CHP for six years.
Officer Gonzalez graduated from Fresno State in 2004 with a degree in Criminology. He was also part of the Nu Alpha Kappa fraternity and volunteered at the Latino Commencement Celebration for many years.
The funeral is open to the public, and many officials, including Gov. Jerry Brown and CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow, will be in attendance.
Doors to the Save Mart Center open at 8:30 a.m. Heavy traffic is expected surrounding the Save Mart Center and multiple roads will be closed.
Chestnut Avenue between Shaw and Barstow avenues will be closed from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Woodrow Avenue north of Shaw will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. Matoian Avenue will only be used for those attending the memorial service.
The Save Mart Center advises those attending the service to arrive early and plan for extra travel time as well as carpooling.
Anyone planning to park on the east side of campus should use Shaw and Maple avenues.
After the services, the procession will head to the Clovis Cemetery where Law will be buried on North Villa Avenue. Roads will be closed in 20 minute windows as the procession makes its way to the cemetery.
After that, the procession will head toward the North Tulare Public Cemetery for Officer Gonzalez’s burial. On the way, many on and off ramps will be closed sporadically along highways 168, 180, 41 and 99 in Fresno and Tulare counties between 1 and 5 p.m.