A police officer has spoken of the devastating moment he responded to a car crash while on duty, only to discover that the victim was his own wife. The officer, named in reports as Matthew Smith, said he watched his wife, Patricia Espinosa, die at the scene after she was struck by a drunk driver, describing the ordeal as watching "the love of my life slip away."

Details of the crash itself are limited in the available report, but it centres on a drink-driving incident that claimed Espinosa's life while her husband, a serving police officer, was called to attend as a first responder before realising the victim was his wife. The case highlights the dangers posed by drink-driving and the particular trauma faced by emergency responders who encounter personal tragedy while on duty.