A newly released dashcam video tied to litigation shows an Orange County sheriff’s deputy striking a vehicle in Santa Ana in 2023, an incident that left a young couple with serious injuries and has since prompted a civil lawsuit.
What happened
Court documents made public as part of the lawsuit identify the couple as Jan Tan and Megan Doan, who were seriously hurt when their car was struck. The documents allege that Deputy Jeremiah Peyus was driving about 30 miles per hour over the posted speed limit while responding to a nonemergency destination — reported in the filings as "on the way to dinner."
The collision was investigated by the Santa Ana Police Department, according to a statement from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD). The sheriff’s office said it could not provide additional comment because the matter is pending litigation, but confirmed that Deputy Peyus remains on full duty.
“While the Peace Officer's Bill of Rights limits the information that can be provided, Deputy Peyus was issued and served discipline related to this incident,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.
Known timeline and details
| Item | Known facts |
|---|---|
| Date of crash | 2023 |
| People injured | Jan Tan and Megan Doan (serious injuries) |
| Deputy named in documents | Deputy Jeremiah Peyus |
| Alleged speed | ~30 mph over the limit (according to court documents) |
| Investigating agency | Santa Ana Police Department |
| Administrative status | Deputy remains on full duty; discipline was issued |
| Current status | Civil lawsuit pending |
Local implications and unanswered questions
For Santa Ana residents, the case raises several issues about officer driving practices, departmental transparency and how investigations into collisions involving peace officers are handled locally. The sheriff’s department cited the Peace Officer's Bill of Rights as a constraint on what it can disclose — a legal limitation that often restricts public access to investigatory details until litigation or internal processes conclude.
Key facts remain subject to court proceedings: the full dashcam footage was made public through the litigation process, but other records that might explain the deputy’s justification for speed or the precise circumstances leading up to impact have not been released by the agencies. The OCSD confirmed discipline was issued but did not provide the nature or timing of that discipline.
- Who conducts reviews when multiple agencies are involved — and whether the reviewing agencies share findings publicly — can affect community trust.
- The continuation of the deputy on full duty while litigation proceeds is a detail that often prompts public questions about oversight and administrative practices.
- Outcomes of civil litigation, and any concurrent criminal or administrative proceedings, will shape policy discussions on emergency and nonemergency driving by deputies.
What comes next
The lawsuit filed by Tan and Doan remains in progress. Pending court activity can lead to additional disclosures, including depositions, incident reports and possibly more video evidence. Those materials would provide a fuller account of the events surrounding the collision and the department’s internal response.
For now, city residents and community groups concerned about officer conduct and roadway safety in Santa Ana will likely follow the case for both its legal outcome and its potential influence on local practices governing pursuit and emergency driving by law enforcement.
WE NEWS will continue to monitor public filings and statements from the involved agencies and report further details as they become available through the courts or official channels.
