CHP Officer Struck and Killed on 15 Freeway

[kd6ecz]

I was tipped off by a CDF dispatcher friend of mine last night about this and subsequently monitored some of the radio traffic on my scanner. According to KFI 640 traffic reports last night, the entire 15 Freeway was closed off at Oak Hill Road on the northbound side. I have not been able to find any news articles posted online as of yet but there is a press release on the coroner's web site.

From the San Bernardino County Coroner's site:

Coroner Case #06-1719 ML – On 2/25/2006, at 11:30 PM, CHP Officer Gregory Bailey was performing a routine traffic stop on the northbound interstate 15 north of Oak Hill Rd., in Victorville (it's actually Hesperia). Officer Bailey was struck by another motorist. Officer Bailey was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 11:46 PM. The CHP is investigating the incident. [022606 0745 TC]

http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/c...essRelease.asp

I believe that this makes 6 CHP officers that have been killed since last September.

[RolnCode3]

Oh my God. This has to be tolling on the guys and gals in tan.

[mkewman]

ANOTHER ONE???

jesus christ this is getting to be almost a weekly thing!

[kma371]

I sat here for a few minutes trying to think of something to say about this. But I'm at a loss for words. This is #6 in the last 5 months for CHP. My thoughts are with the families of this fallen officer and all the guys and gals out there right now protecting us, on and off duty.

[Mick]

http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=18179

A CHP Motor Officer, from the Rancho Cucamonga Area Office, was reportedly on an enforcement stop and was struck by a possible D.U.I. driver sometime during the later part of "B" watch last night. He was reportedly transported to a local hospital were he died a short time later.

This officer is the 209th uniformed member of the CHP to die in the line-of-duty - and the 6th in the last 5 months (David Romero, Santa Fe Springs, 09/23-05 (run over by a DUI driver) - Andy Stevens, Woodland Area, 11-17-05 (shot on a traffic stop) - Erick Manny, Fort Tejon Area, 12-21-05 (Traffic collision while in pursuit of violator), Mike Walker, 12-31-05, Santa Cruz Area (Struck by traffic at collision scene) & Earl Scott, Modesto Area, 02/17/06 (Shot). All of this information is preliminary.

From CHP Forums:
He had finished his shift and was on his way home when he made a stop, N/B I-15 near the top of Cajon Pass. He was struck and killed by the DUI driver while on the stop.

Date of Death 02-25-06 (Saturday night)

Gregory John Bailey, # 14664
Known to his friends as "John"
(age 36)
Sworn/CHP Academy Graduation: 05/10/96

Assignments:
CHP Academy - 11/95 - 05/96
CHP Barstow Area - 05/96 - 12/00
CHP Rancho Cucamonga - 12/00 - present

Survived by:
Wife & 4 children.

John had completed "B" watch (afternoon shift) and was en route home (Victorville), northbound on I-15, north of Oak Hills Road, and made an enforcement stop on a violator's vehicle. John made a right side approach to speak with the driver of the vehicle he had stopped. A D.U.I. driver in 1991 Honda, Accord drove onto the right shoulder at a high rate of speed, struck the CHP motorcycle, the violator's vehicle and John. The violator's vehicle was struck with such force it overturned, landing in the freeway traffic lanes. Mercy Air (ambulance) transported all three parties to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (Colton, CA). John died from his injuries shortly after arriving at the hospital. The DUI driver, Mr. Domingo Esqueda, age 20, of Adelanto, CA reportedly had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit.

Funeral arrangement are pending.

Originally Posted by kd6ecz

I have not been able to find any news articles posted online as of yet but there is a press release on the coroner's web site.

From the San Bernardino County Coroner's site:

Coroner Case #06-1719 ML – On 2/25/2006, at 11:30 PM, CHP Officer Gregory Bailey was performing a routine traffic stop on the northbound interstate 15 north of Oak Hill Rd., in Victorville (it's actually Hesperia). Officer Bailey was struck by another motorist. Officer Bailey was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center where he was pronounced dead at 11:46 PM. The CHP is investigating the incident. [022606 0745 TC]

http://www.co.san-bernardino.ca.us/c...essRelease.asp

I believe that this makes 6 CHP officers that have been killed since last September.

[kd6ecz]

I saw the story on a few news programs this evening. This particular CHP officer spent 14 months in Iraq with his National Guard unit and had just returned to work last November. Man... to survive the chaos over in Iraq only to be killed by a damn DUI driver on the freeway. Pretty sad...

[karldotcom]

The driver of the Honda, which touched off the chain-reaction accident, is Domingo Esqueda, 20, of Adelanto, according to a press release issued by the CHP.

Esqueda had a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit, Eads said. He did not have a valid driver's license. What he did have was a fake identification card, a Mexican identification card and other identification all with different names and different variations of names, Eads said.

[FireMan16]

It realy has been tough year for the CHP.My heart goes out for the family.

[EMSJUNKY]

This has been a very hard time for the CHP Family. Along with CHP, there have been many other police officer L.O.D.D. in California. As an EMT, this is a hard fact to swallow. It is becoming more and more dangerous to be a public servant. My thoughts and prayers go out to the CHP family and my concerns for the rest of the public safety community as we continue to serve our communities

[Mick]

During 2006 50% of Calif. officers killed were CHP officers (2). The 2 others were from Pasadena PD and East Palo Alto PD.

During 2005 22.2% of Calif. officers (4) killed were CHP officers. The 14 others were from:
Ceres Police Department
California Department of Corrections
(2) Los Angeles County Sheriff's Dept.
Pittsburg Police Department
Los Angeles World Airports Police Dept.
(2) San Bernardino County Sheriff's Dept.
(2) Sacramento County Sheriff's Dept.
San Leandro Police Department
California Department of Justice
Tulare County Sheriff's Office
Rocklin Police Department

Originally Posted by EMSJUNKY

This has been a very hard time for the CHP Family. Along with CHP, there have been many other police officer L.O.D.D. in California.

[EMSJUNKY]

Thanks for that statistic. I knew the CHP stat was high, but didnt realize it was that high.

[kd6ecz]

Here is an article from today's Daily Press (Victor Valley's newspaper):

Esqueda pleads innocent
Suspected illegal immigrant in crash that killed CHP officer

Wednesday, March 1, 2006

VICTORVILLE — Teresa Bailey sat in the courtroom Tuesday holding the wedding band that belonged to her husband, a 10-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, who was killed by a suspected drunken driver Saturday night.

It was the first time Bailey would see the man CHP officials say had a blood-alcohol level three times the legal limit when he allegedly crashed into Officer Gregory Bailey on Interstate 15 near Oak Hill Road.

Domingo Esqueda pleaded innocent to one count of vehicular manslaughter and two counts of causing an injury crash while under the influence of alcohol.

If convicted of all charges, Esqueda, 20, faces a maximum of 10 years and eight months in state prison, said Supervising Deputy District Attorney Gary Roth.

Superior Court Judge Jon Ferguson assigned the public defender's office to represent Esqueda, who is a suspected illegal alien from Mexico. The judge ordered that Esqueda's bail remain at $1 million and set a preliminary hearing date for next week. When first arrested, Esqueda's bail had been set at $100,000 but a Superior Court judge Monday ordered the increase.

Teresa Bailey was accompanied in the courtroom by CHP officers, one of whom held her hand through the duration of the arraignment. She said she plans to attend all proceedings of Esqueda's trial.

"I wanted to be here," said Teresa Bailey of the arraignment. "It was good for me. This was the first time I had a chance to see him (Esqueda). He can expect to see a lot more of me."

Gregory Bailey, 36, had finished his shift but pulled over a pickup truck while on the way home to Adelanto from the CHP station in Rancho Cucamonga. While Bailey spoke to a driver he had pulled over, Esqueda veered off the northbound side of Interstate 15 just north of Oak Hill Road and crashed into Bailey's CHP motorcycle and the pickup truck at around 10:30 p.m.

Gregory Bailey was airlifted to Arrowhead Regional Medical Center where he died an hour later.

Gregory Bailey is the sixth CHP officer to die in the line of duty since September. Two of the other officers' lives were taken by alleged drunken drivers, officials said. Gregory Bailey had recently returned from a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq with the Army National Guard.

He is survived by his wife of 14 years, two daughters, two sons and both of his parents.

http://www.vvdailypress.com/2006/114122363216527.html

Here is an article from yesterday:
http://www.vvdailypress.com/2006/114113738998996.html

[Mick]

Photo of the suspect who ran over Off. Bailey.

[RolnCode3]

The CA Peace Officer's Memorial. Click on "End of Watch Reports" and Bailey as well as other recent LOD deaths are listed.

http://www.camemorial.org/

[swat]

My thoughts also go out for the CHP families and for the force itself... has to be hard to go out and think that your the next one...... That is a big number 6 in the last 5 months..... its gut renching to believe its true