Sergeant Gary R. Wagers

Gary R. Wagers

Sergeant Gary 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 approximately four hours later by a commuter who noticed skid marks leading off the 25-foot embankment. Authorities were notified of the accident by the citizen.

He had been scheduled to get off duty at 3:45 am. 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 patrol vehicles 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.