RENO, N.V.—A Reno police officer was killed Thursday after his motorcycle struck another vehicle as he responded to a call for assistance to a three-vehicle collision.
Officer Mike Scofield, 54, had been with the Reno Police Department for 25 years. Prior to that, he worked at the San Jose Police Department in California for five years. He planned to retire in a year, according to Assistant Chief of Police Jim Weston.
“It’s very difficult, first of all, because you lose your fellow officer, your friend, and especially in a tragedy like this, it’s very sad,” Weston said. “Every one of the motorcyclists begins to refocus and pay close attention to what he or she is doing. This is one of the most dangerous jobs.”
The veteran officer and his partner, Officer John McCauley, were responding to a three-car injury accident on McCarran Boulevard and Mill Street when the collision occurred.
An SUV pulled out of a driveway in front of the officers. Scofield braked but was unable to avoid hitting the SUV. McCauley, who was 50 or 60 feet behind, was able to stop before striking the vehicle.
It was unclear whether the officers’ sirens were on, though a preliminary review indicated Scofield’s blue and red emergency lights were on.
Nurses Pam Morse and Marsha Depew and physical therapist Angie MacCabe, from Gentiva Health Service in a nearby business complex, rushed to the aid of the fallen officer and attempted to revive him until EMTs arrived.
“He had no pulse and he wasn’t breathing, so the three of us moved him into position and performed CPR until the medics came,” Depew said. “It was apparent to us as nurses that the situation was very dismal, but there was hope.”
The woman driving the SUV, 25-year-old Anna Marie Jackson, was not injured or cited after the collision, though the investigation continues.
Businesses near the driveway where the collision occurred complained that it was a dangerous driveway. They claim that pine trees lining the curb create a dangerous blind spot for drivers exiting the parking lot.
Susan Greenwood, owner of Bob’s Saloon and Eatery on Mill Street, said the accident was inevitable.
“Every customer in here complains about those trees,” Greenwood said. “If you try to get out of this driveway and make a left, you can’t see because of all the pine trees down the street.”
Scofield leaves behind a wife and four grown children.