Val Verde County Sheriff's Office, Texas
End of Watch: Friday, June 30, 2006
Age: 46
Tour of Duty: 18 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: June 30, 2006
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Charged w/Criminally Negligent Homicide
Lieutenant James Sunderland was killed in a three-vehicle crash on U.S. Highway 90, about five miles east of Laughlin Air Force Base.
Lieutenant Sunderland, the passenger of the patrol vehicle, which was being driven by his son, also a deputy with the Val Verde Sheriff's Office, was en route to San Antonio to pick up two prisoners.
Their patrol car was traveling east on U.S. Highway 90 about four miles east of Laughlin Air Force Base's main gate at about 2 p.m. when a construction company truck clipped the rear passenger side of the patrol car. The impact caused it to spin into oncoming traffic, where it was struck broadside by a sports utility vehicle traveling west on U.S. Highway 90.
The driver of the sports utility vehicle and Lieutenant Sunderland's son were transported to the Val Verde Regional Medical Center. Lieutenant Sunderland was pronounced dead at the scene.
Lieutenant Sunderland had served with the Val Verde County Sheriff's Office for 18 years. He is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, parents, two brothers, and a sister.