Merced County coroner identifies man who died in CHP custody

A man who died earlier this month while in the custody of California Highway Patrol officers from Los Banos has been identified by the Merced County Coroner’s Office.

Hai Thanh Tran, 48, address unavailable, died March 10, shortly after he was arrested for driving the wrong way on Interstate 5, Sgt. Delray Shelton told the Sun-Star.

The Coroner’s Office identified the man, but said further details, including the cause of his death, were still under review. The Merced County Sheriff’s Department is conducting the investigation.

Officers had initially been called to the area at 7:01 p.m. to investigate a man driving the wrong way on Interstate 5 north of Nees Avenue, the CHP told the Sun-Star.

The driver got out of his vehicle when first contacted by officers, ignored commands and apparently became combative before he was placed in handcuffs, the CHP said.

The officers’ dashboard-mounted camera captured some of the incident, but the physical struggle happened off camera, officers said.

The CHP said the man was handcuffed and placed in the back of the vehicle at 7:16 p.m. One minute later, officers called for paramedics when the man stopped breathing and officers initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation. At 7:18 p.m., officers told the emergency responders to get to the scene as quickly as possible, the CHP said.

The man reportedly died at the scene.

The CHP has also said its officers will conduct internal reviews, a standard procedure in such incidents.

This story was originally published March 28, 2015 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Merced County coroner identifies man who died in CHP custody."