TROTWOOD -- The Montgomery County Coroner's Office has determined that a beloved Trotwood police officer died from head trauma and drowning following a one-car crash Wednesday.
Officer David Yaney was traveling on an Englewood road just before dawn when the pick up he was driving left the roadway and struck a guardrail before going airborne and plunging into the creek below.
A memorial at the crash site continues to grow as the community in which Yaney worked still is in mourning.
"He's a good man and he's going to be missed by a lot of people," said good friend George Hock. "It is a somber day in the community of Drexel...this neighborhood was Officer Dave Yaney's beat.
Yaney was seemingly known by everyone due to his years of service in the close-knit Trotwood enclave, even earning an ex offico title in the process.
"He knew everybody out here...he was a good cop," said Ken Harlow, another Yaney friend. "He was one of a kind, that's for sure. In fact, it's hard to find anyone in this Trotwood neighborhood that did not know Officer Yaney. Some even called him the 'Mayor of Drexel.'"
Yaney also made an indelible impression on those he served.
"He knew everybody and everybody knew him. He was well liked," said resident Wanda Gibson. "He was a good man and he's going to be missed by a lot of people. He would frequent businesses like Valero gas station. He was just a nice guy...a super guy. I'm still in shock."
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the crash. But in the interim, friends and family know that his legacy will live on.
"He watched out for everybody. And the people here have faith that Officer Yaney will continue to watch over the people of Drexel from above. He was the best guy that we knew."
The viewing for Officer Yaney will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday at the Phillips Temple, 3620 Shiloh Springs Road, Trotwood. Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday also at Phillips Temple. Yaney will be laid to rest at Cedar Hill Cemetery on Wolf Creek Pike, Trotwood.
Officer David Yaney was traveling on an Englewood road just before dawn when the pick up he was driving left the roadway and struck a guardrail before going airborne and plunging into the creek below.
A memorial at the crash site continues to grow as the community in which Yaney worked still is in mourning.
"He's a good man and he's going to be missed by a lot of people," said good friend George Hock. "It is a somber day in the community of Drexel...this neighborhood was Officer Dave Yaney's beat.
Yaney was seemingly known by everyone due to his years of service in the close-knit Trotwood enclave, even earning an ex offico title in the process.
"He knew everybody out here...he was a good cop," said Ken Harlow, another Yaney friend. "He was one of a kind, that's for sure. In fact, it's hard to find anyone in this Trotwood neighborhood that did not know Officer Yaney. Some even called him the 'Mayor of Drexel.'"
Yaney also made an indelible impression on those he served.
"He knew everybody and everybody knew him. He was well liked," said resident Wanda Gibson. "He was a good man and he's going to be missed by a lot of people. He would frequent businesses like Valero gas station. He was just a nice guy...a super guy. I'm still in shock."
Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the crash. But in the interim, friends and family know that his legacy will live on.
"He watched out for everybody. And the people here have faith that Officer Yaney will continue to watch over the people of Drexel from above. He was the best guy that we knew."
The viewing for Officer Yaney will be held from 3:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday at the Phillips Temple, 3620 Shiloh Springs Road, Trotwood. Funeral services are scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday also at Phillips Temple. Yaney will be laid to rest at Cedar Hill Cemetery on Wolf Creek Pike, Trotwood.