A southern Nevada community is mourning the death of Daniel Leach, a corrections officer, who was killed in a crash yesterday morning in the line of duty. Boulder City residents say the 25-year veteran of the Metro police force was so much more than a detention officer.
"We just won a state championship and he was at every game, yelling, and you knew it was Dan Leach," said Ryan Bowen about his former little league coach, who would still cheer him on the sidelines at basketball games. "He was the first one to let me pitch in little league. He just let me go up there and do my thing," he added.
Daniel Leach was on his way to pick up a prisoner when his transport vehicle hit a dump truck off Hwy 95, near Searchlight, killing him instantly.
"It's really hard. They were like our family and still are," said Hanna Inman, who is Leach's daughters' best friend.
As news of the tragic accident traveled through the tight knit community of Boulder City, family members say they've received an emotional outpouring of support from friends who remember leach as a good citizen and an outstanding member of the community who always tried to make a difference.
The driver of the dump truck was not injured but the accident remains under investigation since it's still unclear if speed played a role in the crash. Leach is survived by his wife, son and daughter. He was 49 years old.