Two Killed, Along With Deputy In California Mishap

Anguish heaped on tragedy Monday when a Tuolomne County deputy was killed in a car crash while responding to reports of a plane down near Columbia (CA).

The Officer Down Memorial Page website identified the fallen deputy as 26-year law enforcement veteran Dave Grant. A sheriff's spokesman said Grant lost control of his patrol vehicle on Highway 49 and slammed into a tree. Other reports indicated he had swerved to avoid another vehicle.

He was responding to reports that a PA-28 had crashed in flames near Columbia at around 11:00 am local time. Circumstances leading to the crash weren't immediately known. The victims in the Piper have not yet been identified.

FAA Preliminary Accident Report

IDENTIFICATION
 Regis#: 7626J    Make/Model: PA28   Description: PA-28 CHEROKEE, ARROW, WARRIOR, ACHER, D
 Date: 05/31/2004   Time: 1815

 Event Type: Accident  Highest Injury: Fatal   Mid Air: N  Missing: N
 Damage: Destroyed

LOCATION
 City: COLUMBIA          State: CA  Country: US

DESCRIPTION
 ACFT CRASHED ON DEPARTURE, TWO PERSONS ON BOARD WERE FATALLY INJURED AND
 THE AIRCRAFT WAS DESTROYED, 11:15PDT, COLUMBIA, CA

INJURY DATA   Total Fatal:  2
         # Crew:  1   Fat:  1   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Pass:   1   Fat:  1   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 
         # Grnd:        Fat:  0   Ser:  0   Min:  0   Unk: 

WEATHER: SCK 1055PDT 28006KT 10SM CLR 28/13 A2992                 
                                          
                            

OTHER DATA
 Activity: Unknown   Phase: Take-off   Operation: General Aviation

 Departed: COLUMBIA, CA        Dep Date: 05/31/2004  Dep. Time: 1815
 Destination: UNK           Flt Plan: NONE     Wx Briefing: Y
 Last Radio Cont: UNK
 Last Clearance: UNK

 FAA FSDO: FRESNO, CA (WP17)          Entry date: 06/01/2004

FMI: www.ntsb.gov