‘It’s selfish': Former boss of fallen Las Vegas officer says wrong-way crashes are too common

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - As Officer Colton Pulsipher’s co-workers and loved ones focus on honoring his memory and dedication to his badge, his death once again sparks the conversation about another big issue in the valley: wrong-way drivers.

MORE: Community rallies behind widow of Las Vegas officer killed in wrong-way crash

Officer Colton Pulsipher died Thursday after he was hit by a wrong-way driver on the I-15 northbound near Valley of Fire.

FOX5 Victoria Saha spoke to retired Metro Sgt. Ryan Anderson Thursday as he grasped the news of his former colleague and hometown friend.

During our conversation, Anderson opened up about his frustration with the deadly wrong-way crashes we have had in the valley.

Saha: “We see wrong-way drivers a lot, how often was this an issue when you were a sergeant with the traffic bureau?”

Anderson: “I’m actually glad you are asking this question because maybe we can make this some sort of public service announcement.”

“Traffic collisions, especially with how easy vehicles are to drive, they almost do it themselves, are almost always avoidable. There are a few traffic collisions in Southern Nevada that are not avoidable.”

“It’s either distraction, impairment, or driving when you are exhausted. There is something you can do or choose not to do that can avoid these collisions. I think people get the attitude that ‘It could never happen to me. I’m bulletproof and I can do it. Somebody else might not be able to, but I can handle this.' We just need to change that attitude, we need to take it more personally, otherwise it’s not fair.”

“It’s selfish, make arrangements. There are ride share programs. Everybody has cell phones, there’s no reason in cases of impairment to not prepare yourself and take action so we don’t have tragedies like this. The loss of a life during the Christmas season, a 29-year-old man with a family of three kids and a wife- all avoidable.”

Watch the video below to see the full interview with Anderson:

FOX5 reported Thursday that the Nevada Department of Transportation is working on adding 12 new wrong-way warning systems throughout the valley. However, they could not say which specific roads.

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