Elko County Sheriff's Office, Nevada
End of Watch: Saturday, November 29, 1997
Age: 32
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Fall
Date of Incident: November 29, 1997
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Never identified
Sergeant Travis Maki was killed after falling from a freeway overpass while setting out flares at a traffic accident on I-80 near Deeth at 2:55 am.
The previous crash had occurred on an icy bridge over railroad tracks. He was placing the flares on the roadway when a tractor-trailer jack-knifed and slid on the ice, taking up the entire road surface. In an attempt to avoid being struck by the trailer, Sergeant Maki fell over the railing and fell approximately 65 feet on the railroad right of way. He was killed instantly as a result of the fall.
The tractor-trailer recovered from sliding and continued driving. The driver was never identified or located.
Sergeant Maki was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Elko County Sheriff's Office for 10 years. He is survived by his parents, brother, step-sister, niece, and girlfriend.
He is buried in Elko County Veterans Cemetery, Elko, Nevada.