Corrections officer dies in collision on U.S. 95 - Breaking News

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Nov. 21, 2009
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Corrections officer dies in collision on U.S. 95

By ANTONIO PLANAS
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie today had trouble finding the words for his latest fallen comrade, Daniel Leach, right, a corrections officer who died hours earlier in a collision on U.S. Highway 95 near Searchlight.

“In circumstances like this ... I just can’t put it into words,” a somber Gillespie said. “This organization is strong and we will prevail.”

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Gillespie spoke following the death of Leach, 49, a 25-year veteran of the department who died at the scene of a 5:45 a.m. collision. The department van he was driving south clipped the second of two trailers being hauled by a 10-wheel dump truck that had just made a left turn onto northbound 95.

Leach’s death came only two days after Gillespie addressed the media at another news conference to discuss the slaying of officer Trevor Nettleton, shot during what police called a botched robbery early Thursday morning at his home in North Las Vegas.

In just over six months, four Metropolitan Police Department officers have died violent deaths. The other two involved patrol car crashes.

Gillespie said today that Leach was the only occupant in the van, which was about a mile north of Searchlight, about 60 miles south of Las Vegas. There were two people in the dump truck, department spokesman Bill Cassell said. The driver had not been arrested or cited as of early this afternoon and the occupants are cooperating with investigators.

Police did not say how fast Leach was driving or if he was wearing his seat belt. They didn’t say who was at fault in the collision and the investigation is ongoing.

The stretch of highway where the accident occurred has four lanes — two in each direction — separated by a median.

Gillespie said Leach was on his way to the Tucker Holding Facility in Laughlin prior to the crash. He picked up the van from the Clark County Detention Center and his assignment for the day was to return any inmates who needed to be transferred from the Laughlin facility to the Clark County jail.

Leach was the third officer to die on-duty while driving this year. On Oct. 7, 30-year-old officer Milburn “Millie” Beitel was killed in a crash on Nellis Boulevard near Washington Avenue. Beitel was at the wheel of the patrol car, driving 71 mph in the 45 mph zone.

Police said Beitel swerved to avoid a vehicle making a left turn onto eastbound Washington from southbound Nellis. Beitel did not have his emergency lights or sirens on.

His passenger, 25-year-old officer David Nesheiwat, survived the crash. He too was not wearing a seat belt

Exactly six months earlier, 28-year-old officer James Manor died while responding to a domestic dispute call. He was driving 109 mph without lights and sirens on Flamingo Road when a pickup turned into his path. He was not wearing a seat belt and died a short time later.

After Manor’s crash, Gillespie ordered the department to complete a review of its driving policies.

Gillespie said the department will be implementing changes in December.

“I simply do not feel today is the appropriate time to discuss those changes,” Gillespie said Saturday.

Last year, 44 police officers in the U.S. died in traffic crashes, five more than the 39 who died from gunshot wounds, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, which tracks officer deaths. Traffic fatalities have been the leading cause of death among law enforcement officers the past 12 years.

Leach’s death came on the heels of Nettleton’s slaying. He was shot 12:18 a.m. Thursday at his home on Emerald Stone Avenue, near Lone Mountain Road and Bruce Street.

North Las Vegas police said Nettleton, 30, had just finished a late shift for the Bolden Area Command when he was approached by several suspects in his open garage. Nettleton died after an exchange of gunfire.

North Las Vegas police arrested three suspects: Saul Williams Jr., 20; Prentice Marshall, 18; and a 17-year-old whose identity has not been released.

Gillespie said though the week has been a hard one for the Metropolitan Police Department family, his department will not lose focus on its mission of protecting the community.

Police said Leach was born in Willoughby, Ohio, east of Cleveland. He is survived by his wife, Laura. He also has a son, Christopher and daughter, Alexandra.

Contact reporter Antonio Planas at aplanas@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4638.

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Please enter your name Name: Please enter your email Email: Please enter a comment COMMENTS : (word count limit is 300) You have reached the maximum number of words allowed Current Word Count: Note: Comments made by reporters and editors of the Las Vegas Review-Journal are presented with a yellow background. WITNESS TO CRASH wrote on December 11, 2009 11:04 AM: This is in response to (What B.S.) I'm not understanding the remark about " As I've said before, if being a police officer is such a cushy, easy job, full of donuts and days off, why don't all of you apply? Seems you'd want a job that protect lazy cowards such as yourself. I'm sure the bullets won't hurt much." Well... If cops driving 100 mph down 45 mph streets and crashing into civilians while not wearing seatbelts is considered a dangerous job, well... no sympathy from me based on their method of dying, uh... "in the line of duty" Whatever right. Dangerous job huh, we got cops who have not drawn their weapon in 20 years on duty and I'm not a cop but I have been shot myself. The man who died in his garage was a hero for dying for his job but the others. Tragic as a drunk driver breathing his last breath on a Saturday Night wrapped around a tree. Tina Cluver wrote on November 24, 2009 09:36 AM: I've known Dan and his family for many, many years. He was a amazing person, loving husband and father, dedicated public servant and gave so much to our community through his volunteer work with Boulder City youth. He was well-respected and admired by those who knew him and will truly be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his beautiful wife, Laura and their children, Christopher and Alexandra. Dan's legacy will never be forgotten by those of us who knew and loved him too. I also have an enormous amount of pity for those who have chosen this venue to embarrass themselves by displaying their ignorance and venom to the rest of us. May you or a loved one never have to suffer a similar fate. Some people choose to perform jobs that put them in harm's way each day they go to work so that you can hop on the Internet after your shift manning the hot dog warmer at 7-Eleven is over and act a damn fool hiding behind a keyboard with a lame screen name. Officer Leach accomplished much in his short life for which I and my family are eternally grateful. I humbly suggest you follow his example and improve the world around you instead of continually polluting it with your vitriol (look it up). L.V. Girl wrote on November 22, 2009 06:48 PM: It is sad that somebody's Father,Uncle,Brother,Son,Best Friend or co-worker passed in this way. We saw the crash. It was terrible. But...Who pay's for ALL those metro cars and officers to go out there? I have NEVER seen so many! How many Officers could actually help? Was it a show of respect or support? I don't know. Our county is in a financial crisis with the recession on, could we afford all those Officers? What B.S. wrote on November 22, 2009 12:10 PM: All the b.s. comments on this story don't surprise me. Our community is full of ingrates and idiots. Half the people on this site see the phrase "metro cop" and use the comments section to spew whatever bile they're tasting at the moment, related or not to the story at hand. A police officer dies in a traffic accident, and the entire Metro P.D. is indicted. So, when one of your family members dies in an auto accident, should we villify them, your family, and that person's profession? Be sure to let us know. As I've said before, if being a police officer is such a cushy, easy job, full of donuts and days off, why don't all of you apply? Seems you'd want a job that protect lazy cowards such as yourself. I'm sure the bullets won't hurt much. Jay wrote on November 22, 2009 11:32 AM: WOW. I just also got done reading the comments. Why all the hatred?? We all have opinions and can talk about them in the free country. This is why our country and actually our world is in the shape it is in. I read this article and feel sorry for him and am glad that no other innocents were killed. We all know that Police officers jobs are hard and stressful. I just do not think you can compare their job with that of a truck driver or any other dangerous job where it comes to driving. A police officer deals with a majority of people that are not good. (I said a majority of people not all)It is a very stressful job. I do have friends that are cops and yes some of them have attitudes. I also have friends that work in casinos and yes some of them have attitudes. My point being they are human. Please try not to forget that. Jay wrote on November 22, 2009 11:21 AM: SPEEDING!! As a person who knows something about what happened I will say the skid marks were over 100 ft long and the vehicle was half under the backside of the truck. If only someone monitored all the careless driving that goes on with officers between Las Vegas and Laughlin would this come to be known as a everyday occurrence.(speeding) While I do not wish this upon any individual speeding will sometimes catch up to us all. Also I define speeding as going above 85 on that stretch. Bless the families that have to go through this negligence. 1/221 CAVALRY DIV. wrote on November 22, 2009 05:21 AM: AS ONE OF MANY METRO OFFICERS CURRENTLY SERVING OVERSEAS, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WE ARE ALL FEELING THE PAIN OF THE BROTHERS WE'VE LOST SINCE WE LEFT HOME. OUR PRAYERS GO OUT TO THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. Right wrote on November 22, 2009 12:23 AM: What a sick city we live in. Nothing but pathetic garbage talkers out there. No respect for dignity and life, cop or citizen. This is the way we talk about our fellow citizens even before the body is cold? This is hate town USA. This country is too far gone to save. Thanks for your dose of armchair crap you haters. p.s. just because you hate your own life doesn't give you the right to judge anyone. I mean ANYONE! Right wrote on November 22, 2009 12:05 AM: Why does Metro investigate their own crashes. Why not a state agency (NHP). Then Metro wonders why when the citizens scream "cover up!" I come from a state back east and the agencies ALWAYS had a department other than their own do the high profile officer involved shootings and Crashes. These guys create their own liability doing it this way. The Truth wrote on November 21, 2009 11:35 PM: Rob - how about I defend my family and my person myself; if I need a police report, then I'll call metro. Scott, wanna meet up? I'm all for it. Post your email and I'll send you my address. Read All Comments