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[mr_magoo]

Always sad to hear.


Bush Motorcade Crash Kills N.M. Officer
By Associated Press

Mon Aug 27, 9:54 PM

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A police officer in President Bush's motorcade crashed his motorcycle and died Monday, less than a year after a crash in Hawaii killed another motorcycle officer accompanying the president.

Rio Rancho Officer Germaine Casey, 40, crashed at the Albuquerque airport at a point where a road enters an underground parking garage, said Trish Hoffman, a spokeswoman for the Albuquerque Police Department. He was pronounced dead at an Albuquerque hospital.

Bush had been headed to the airport after attending a fundraiser for Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M.

"Any time there is a presidential motorcade, the officers, that's part of their job, they drive at a high rate of speed," said Hoffman, whose department is investigating the crash.

Rio Rancho police department spokesman Officer John Francis said Casey's motorcycle hit a curb and then a tree, but investigators were reconstructing the accident to determine exactly what happened.

Photographers and reporters in the presidential motorcade said the officer's motorcycle appeared to be nearly destroyed, and the officer was on the ground, being helped by an emergency medical technician.

White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said the president saw the wreck after it had occurred, and a member of the White House medical staff went to assist.

Bush called Casey's wife, Lisa, from his limousine on the way to the airport in Seattle to offer condolences, Stanzel said.

The president issued a statement saying he was saddened by Casey's death and extraordinarily grateful for his protection.

"It is a high calling to choose to serve and protect your fellow citizens, and I will always be indebted to Officer Casey's service," the president said, adding that the officer's wife and two teenage children were in his thoughts and prayers.

The officer had been with the Rio Rancho Police Department since 2005 and worked with campus police at the University of New Mexico before that, Hoffman said.

Francis said Casey had received special training in riding in motorcades and had previously escorted Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney on separate occasions.

A Honolulu police officer, Steve Favela, died in November when he and two other motorcycle officers crashed while part of a presidential motorcade traveling across Hickam Air Force Base.

[Ironhorse]

One of my instructors at the LAPD motor school told us of escorting the President, and his accident. Because the Presidents vehicle cannot stop, not even for one moment, lest he becomes a sitting target, the motorcade HAS to keep moving at all times. Moreover, the Presidents route is NEVER released until the LAST MOMENT, and this makes road and traffic management a real challenge.
 
So motor officers, because of their manuerverability, have a very tough job to do. They must clear ALL intersections of traffic, and run moving road blocks on the freeway. So they "leap frog" up ahead, hold the traffic, clear the intersection, and then "catch up". When you think about it, you have to more than DOUBLE your speed to catch and pass a moving motorcade. So all they are doing is running up to 100mph to catch up to and pass the motorcade, and then full on braking to stop at intersections. Another officer told me they routinely "Boil Over" the brake fluid in their master cylinders from extreme over heating due to repeated rapid stops and starts. After each motorcade they get the brakes flushed out, and new pads and rotors installed.

This instructor, who is one of THE BEST I have ever seen, said he held an intersection, then sped to catch up. His lesson to us in all of this, was that no matter how good of a rider you are, speed can over take you faster than you can anticipate. He ran right into the back of the Secret Service Tactical Team that was bringing up the rear. Spent some time in the head trauma unit recovering. President Reagen held Air Force One on the ground until he heard from the attending physician that the officer was going to live.

Tough assignment.
All voluntary.

[mr_magoo]

Thanks for the input, interesting about boiling the brakes.  At 100mph things happen very fast indeed, hard to anticipate what a driver doing 30-40 mph in traffic is going to do.  Can't even vision doing it at 85-100 mph even with lights and a siren.  We do an escorted parade every year and I'm always amazed at the people that don't pull over.

[cuthbertss]

I have done similar work in a patrol car which is difficult enough. And the motors would scream by me getting to their posts.
This is difficult and dangerous work.  Regardless of who is being escorted
I am always saddened by a LOD death.

RIP brother

[VaEagle]

It is a shame to hear about a fallen officer. My thoughts and prayers will go out to his family and fellow officers.
Here is a link with photos and video :

http://news.aol.com/story/_a/cop-dies-after-crash-in-bush-motorcade/20070827191909990001?ncid=NWS00010000000001