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twitterCorrections officer with Metro killed in U.S. 95 crash
Kyle Hansen
Sheriff Doug Gillespie speaks at a press conference Saturday about the death of Corrections Officer Daniel Leach, who died in a car crash near Searchlight Saturday morning.
Published Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 | 11:38 a.m.
Updated Saturday, Nov. 21, 2009 | 2:42 p.m.
Daniel Leach
A Metro Police corrections officer was killed in a vehicle accident this morning on U.S. 95 near Searchlight.
Officer Daniel Leach, 49, of Boulder City, was driving a prisoner transport vehicle from the Clark County Detention Center to the Tucker Holding Facility in Laughlin.
The accident occurred at 5:45 a.m. as Leach was driving southbound on U.S. 95 about a mile north of Searchlight.
Police said Leach’s vehicle collided with the second of two trailers on a semi-truck as the truck pulled out from a side street while making a left turn to go northbound on the divided highway.
Leach was killed instantly, police said. The driver and passenger of the truck weren't injured and there were no other passengers in the Metro vehicle.
Leach had worked for Metro as a corrections officer for 25 years.
Police released few other details about the crash during a Saturday afternoon news conference, such as whether speed was a factor, saying the investigation is continuing.
The driver of the truck hasn’t been arrested. Metro is the lead agency in the investigation and is working with the Nevada Highway Patrol.
This is the second Metro officer to die in three days. . Officer Trevor Nettleton was killed Thursday at his North Las Vegas home in what police say likely was a botched robbery attempt.
After this week’s deaths, the number of Metro officers killed in the last six months increases to four, three of whom died in traffic accidents.
Sheriff Doug Gillespie today said the department has developed new rules for officers driving police vehicles that will go into effect in early December, but he wouldn’t elaborate on those rules.
Although it has been a tough week for Metro, Gillespie said sympathy should go to the families of the fallen officers.
“I appreciate the concerns from the community, but it shouldn’t focus on me, it should focus upon the families that have lost those loved ones,” he said.
Leach was born in Willoughby, Ohio, and graduated from Southwood High School in Shreveport, La. He then studied marketing at Northeast College, now called Louisiana Monroe College, and after graduation moved to Las Vegas and was hired by Metro in June 1984.
He is survived by his wife Laura, son Christopher, daughter Alexandra, mother Sandra Leach, father James Leach, brother James Michael Leach and sister Audrey Rehmer.
Discussion: 33 comments so far…
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Must have occurred on that bad stretch between Searchlight and the Laughlin turn-off. I always wondered why they built a beautiful divided 4 lane from I-95 to Searchlight. Then stopped. It's only 21 miles to the Laughlin turn-off. Since the trucks can't go through Hoover Dam, the part to Laughlin is a dangerous bad stretch 24 hours a day. Condolences to the family.
bdover
Harry Reid is from Searchlight
that stretch from searchlight to the laughlin turn off is a beautiful four lane highway, now. this actually happened just before searchlight on the boulder city side. i was about ten miles from searchlight when i saw a huge police procession drive by and came on here to see what happened. then i passed the accident, it was a police van and a semi hauling rocks or sand. you could barely tell it was a van anymore. it was devistating to see, especially knowing it happened only an hour ago.
it's almost like something from a movie. a cop shot and killed in his home, another one killed in a car accident.
I knew this man. Truly an incredible guy, wonderful husband and father...just a solid fine human being. My heart goes out to his wife and family.
Wow, sorry for guessing wrong. Hard to believe it could happen on a fully divided highway. Condolences...
Again, a senseless accident. But judging from the description given by vesper one has to wonder just how fast the van was going. Photos of the area would be helpful, too. Is there a blind curve there?
This kind of accident is almost always preventable by BOTH parties exercising due care.
This is turning out to be an exceptionally tragic year for the Law Enforcement Family. My thoughts and prayers go out to our Finest and Bravest....once again.
Thank Gawd no prisoner was hurt by those death traps.
it's almost like something from a movie. a cop shot and killed in his home, another one killed in a car accident.
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Stevem, so....do you think this would have happened if we had voted Republican?
My sincerest condolences to the family and to all the other surviving members of law enforcement authority. Too many lives lost...
Again? :(
RIP Daniel Leach.
Metro officers put their life on the line daily. Whether driving that long trek to Laughlin, driving around town, or responding to a call.
It is a very sad day for the Metro family. Our prayers and condolensces are with them all.
Rest In Peace
I was on US95 at the scene about 10mins after the accident occurred... was a very grizzly sight. It happened right after the divided highway ended. My thoughts go to his family tonight.
Stevem, so....do you think this would have happened if we had voted Republican?
My sincerest condolences to the family and to all the other surviving members of law enforcement authority. Too many lives lost...
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Greena65. You are a sick warped person. A policeman dies in the line of duty and you are talking about Politics? You need to pull your head out of your...
My condolences to the family. My thoughts and prayers are with them.
You are absolutely correct Digital. My apologies.
I asked to remove Greena65 and Stevem from this thread. Dan and his wife are dear friends of our family and hundreds of others...God bless you Dan~
My comment should be removed. It was callous and insensitive. Again, my sincerest apologies.
MY comment should be removed? i said nothing harmful or hurtful toward this officer.
if ANYTHING i almost ALWAYS side and support law enforcement, hence the stupid comment made about my comments on other articles.
so how about you chill out, charlespbrown.
i did not bring politics into this...THEY did. and it was a sick way to do it.
Comment removed by staff.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this 25 year veteran of the Police Department. Dan was a valued friend to my family, devoted to his loved ones, and a dedicated officer to the Laughlin community. He will be missed and fondly remembered.
the road from searchlight to the cut off is 4 lanes or soon will be. vans like this are very squirrely in their handling
Staff removed my comment which is another example of denying free speacn. I said nothing against the dead officer nor did the other posters. There were no threats or bad language. Charles P Brown must have some pull with this newspaper. What a shame!
mred, You are right! Having owned several vans most of my life and still do today, They can be very fickle indeed. The extended vans are even known for a high rate of rollovers, There's just not enough weight in the rear at times to compensate for the high center of gravity. I wish the family my condolences.
I was at the scene at the time of the accident that morning. I do not know if the van driver was wearing a seat belt but I do know that the dumptruck had his blinker on and started to turn onto 95 northbound from a sideroad. He was almost done with his turn when the van driver who by the way had about a half a mile to see the truck pulling out in front of him when he crashed into the back of the dump truck. Say what you want but I was there. The van was doing about a hundred miles an hour up that hill. He did not slow down and he did not attempt to change lanes. He plowed into that truck full blast. It was NOT the truck drivers fault. Sorry that it happened but that van driver was going way too fast and the police have witness statements to prove it.
My condolenses to the family. It is sad. I also give my condolenses to the hundreds of families who lost a loved one who are not employed by the police department.Too bad they can't be highlighted in a news article. Must be less important I guess.
Comment removed by staff.
He seems to be a very well loved and like man, can't imagine what his family is going through. If you ever traveled the 95 between Henderson and Laughlin, you would regularly see Metro vehicles (cars, SUVs, vans) unfortunately going at least 80 - 90 mph. This madness needs to stop. SPEED KILLS
Steven odog
Appreciate your response...our energy should be toward their grief..healing and the perpetual existence of faith in our goodness...I appreciate you both sharing your thoughts and respecting Dan and Laura as well as their children and all the folks who have lost the life of one they love...
Peace and Good to you both and indeed sympathy for all those grieving the loss of a loved one.
Charlie Brown
HIgh School friend of Laura and friend of Dan~
THANK YOU TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO LOVED DAN...FROM HIS DEEPLY SAD SISTER, AUDREY