Sergeant Gary R. Wagers
California Highway Patrol
California
End of Watch: Thursday, March 15, 2001

Biographical Info
Age: 54
Tour of Duty: 22 years
Badge Number: 9221

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Automobile accident
Date of Incident: Thursday, March 15, 2001
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

Sergeant Wagers was killed in a single vehicle crash while on patrol on State Route 113, near I-5, in Yolo County. He was last observed driving with his emergency equipment activated and at some point his patrol left an elevated freeway embankment and landed on its roof in a wooded area. His vehicle was discovered at approximately four hours later by a commuter who noticed skid marks leading off the 25-feet embankment. Authorities were notified of the accident by the citizen.

He had been scheduled to get off duty at 0345 hours. The exact time of the accident was unknown because his last communication with dispatch was at midnight. Although Sergeant Wagers didn't check out at the end of his shift, no patrols were sent to check on him because it was common for him to work beyond the end of his scheduled shift.

Sergeant Wagers had served with the California Highway Patrol for 22 years. He is survived by his wife and three grown children.