Newly released dashcam video has surfaced showing the exact moment an Orange County Sheriff’s Department patrol vehicle, traveling at high speed, collided with a car carrying a young couple on a date night in Santa Ana. The footage has renewed public attention on a case that is now headed to trial.
The crash occurred on December 29, 2023, and left Garden Grove residents Megan Doan, 28, and Jan Tan, 27, with serious injuries. According to the couple’s attorney, the two are high school sweethearts whose lives were dramatically altered by the collision.
A civil trial in the case is scheduled to begin next month, nearly three years after the incident. The lawsuit is expected to examine the deputy’s speed at the time of the crash and whether department protocols were followed during the pursuit or response that led to the collision.
Attorneys for Doan and Tan have pointed to the dashcam footage as key evidence supporting their claims, arguing it shows the patrol vehicle moving well above safe speeds before impact. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department has not issued a detailed public statement addressing the specifics of the footage or the pending litigation.
The case has drawn attention to broader questions about accountability for law enforcement vehicle pursuits and emergency response driving, particularly in residential and commercial areas of Santa Ana.