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Oculus VR co-founder tragically killed in police chase

The co-founder of the company behind the Oculus Rift was an innocent victim of a police car chase.

Joe Svetlik Reporter
Joe has been writing about consumer tech for nearly seven years now, but his liking for all things shiny goes back to the Gameboy he received aged eight (and that he still plays on at family gatherings, much to the annoyance of his parents). His pride and joy is an Infocus projector, whose 80-inch picture elevates movie nights to a whole new level.
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Joe Svetlik
2 min read

The co-founder of Oculus VR -- the company behind the Oculus Rift virtual reality headset -- was tragically killed in a police chase in California on Thursday. The innocent victim was identified as 33-year-old Andrew Scott Reisse, ABC7 reports.

Reisse was crossing the road when he was struck and killed by a Dodge Charger, after it had already crashed into two vehicles. 21-year-old Victor Sanchez is alleged to have been driving, and could face murder charges.

"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," Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe and chief software architect Michael Antonov said in a statement.

"Some of us have known Andrew since college, and have worked with him at multiple companies beginning with Scaleform in Maryland which he helped start at age 19, then at Gaikai in Aliso Viejo which brought him out to California, and finally at Oculus where he was co-founder and lead engineer.

"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 cannot express how sorely he will be missed or how deeply our sympathy runs for his family.

"Andrew will always be in our thoughts and will never be forgotten. We love you Reisse."

The incident began when officers saw two vehicles full of people "involved in some type of criminal activity," according to ABC7. A physical altercation followed when officers went to investigate, and a gun fight broke out, with a fatal "officer-involved" shooting. Sanchez and two other suspects then took off in the Dodge Charger, it is alleged, with police in pursuit.

"They ran through several red lights, including one where they struck our victim," Santa Ana Police corporal Anthony Bertagna said.

The suspects are in custody. Sanchez is recovering in hospital from injuries he suffered during the crash.