Traffic officer recovering from broken wrist, head injuries suffered in weekend wreck

By Cristina Chang

Monday, July 30, 2012 | 6:06 p.m.

Metro Police have identified the officer and driver involved in a collision Saturday night near the North Las Vegas Airport.

Traffic Officer Michael Contreras, 27, was on his motorcycle around 8:05 p.m. when he collided into a Ford Ranger pickup in the area of Lake Mead Boulevard near Simmons Street, officials said.

Contreras had been driving east on Lake Mead Boulevard when the pickup attempted to make a turn into a Dotty’s casino parking lot. The pickup swerved in front of Contreras, causing him to hit the pickup and fall off his motorcycle, police said. Contreras was transported to University Medical Center Trauma Center with a broken wrist and head injuries. He remained in serious condition today, police said.

Police arrested Jack Bradford, 45, of Washington, Utah, the driver of the pickup truck, after he failed sobriety tests administered at the scene, police said. Bradford has been booked on counts of driving under the influence with substantial harm, failure to yield to oncoming traffic, failure to obey a red light, vehicle registration violations, driving without insurance and driving with a nonresident canceled or suspended driver’s license.

Bradford is in the Clark County Detention Center without bail and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.