A developer of the Oculus Rift was killed in a police chase Thursday afternoon.
Andrew Scott Reisse was four miles away from the offices where the head-mounted virtual reality console Oculus Rift is being developed, when a police chase caused him to be struck and killed by fleeing gang members. Andrew was a computer graphics engineer in Santa Ana when the offending car cut his career and his life short. Co-workers called him a “brilliant mind.”
Andrew Scott Reisse, 33 years old, was a good walk from Oculus VR offices when he was involved in a hit and run while using the crosswalk. According to KABC-TV , the Dodge Charger that killed him crashed 100 feet down the road, where police captured the suspects attempting to flee the scene of the crime.
The chase had begun when police had gotten involved in a confrontation with a group of people including 26-year-old Gerardo Diego Ayala, which had escalated into gunfire and the fatal car chase which took the life of the Oculus Rift developer.
Co-workers of Andrew Scott Reisse made a statement on TV about the incident, “Andrew’s contributions span far and wide in the video game industry. His code is embedded in thousands of games played by millions of people around the world. Words can not express how sorely he will be missed or how deeply our sympathy runs for his family.”
The company stated, “Andrew was a brilliant computer graphics engineer, an avid photographer and hiker who loved nature, a true loyal friend, and a founding member of our close-knit Oculus family.”
Andrew Scott Reisse’s father, living in Virginia, said his son had moved to Southern California just last year to become co-founder of the Oculus Rift .
Santa Ana Police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna stated about the gang members involved in the car chase, “They ran through several red lights, including the one where they struck our victim.” The driver, 21 year old Victor Sanchez, has been charged with murder. The others’ identities have not been released due to the ongoing investigation.
Our hearts go out to the co-workers and family of Oculus Rift developer Andrew Scott Reisse.
