Free Republic

A driver who was allegedly drunk when he struck and killed a California Highway Patrol officer last weekend pleaded innocent to vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated, authorities said. Domingo Esqueda, 20, could face up to 16 years in prison if convicted of killing motorcycle officer John Bailey, 36, who was married and had four children. Esqueda was arraigned Tuesday in San Bernardino County Superior Court in Victorville. Authorities say Bailey was driving home to Adelanto Saturday night when he pulled over another motorist for investigation of drunk driving on Interstate 15 near Hesperia. Bailey was talking with the motorist on the...

10-year veteran of the California Highway Patrol, Iraqi war veteran, husband, father of four and resident of Adelanto, died late Saturday night in a fiery crash touched off by an alleged drunken driver. Motorcycle officer Gregory Bailey, 36, was pronounced dead at 11:46 p.m. after he was caught in a spiral of debris created by a suspected drunken driver who veered off the shoulder of Interstate 15 north of Oak Hill Road. Bailey was a sergeant first class in the Army National Guard. Just four months ago he had returned home from a 15-month tour of duty in Iraq. Bailey,...