Clark A. Wooldridge

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

August 13, 1979

METRO TAKING PARTIAL BLAME IN TRAFFIC FATALITY

A Metropolitan Police officer remained in critical condition Monday from injuries he suffered early Sunday when his patrol car collided with another car, killing its driver.

Metro has taken partial responsibility for the accident after learning that officer, Clark A. Wooldridge, 22, was driving through a red light with flashing lights but no siren, fatal traffic investigator Bob Maglish said.

“We’re taking responsibility for this. We feel both sides are at fault, but we feel Metro has some responsibility here,” said Maglish.

Steven A. Cutler, 33, 120-1 Sandy Cove St., was killed on impact.

Maglish said three witnesses saw the patrol vehicle’s lights flashing although a fourth one said he did not see any lights.

Wooldridge, who had been on the force one year, is in the intensive care unit of Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital.

Wooldridge’s vehicle collided with a Toyota driven by Cutler, who police said apparently was not aware of the patrol car and proceeded through a green light.

The patrolman was responding to an emergency call when he ran a red light in the intersection of Lamb Boulevard and Bonanza Road about 2 a.m.

 …Grant, a carpenter, was driving westbound with his windows open when the two cars collided… Grant said he jumped out of his car and rushed to the officer’s car and tried to put out the flames coming from the engine by pouring water on it.

Grant said he used a plastic container and filled it with water from a convenience store.

Another officer who arrived at the scene also tried putting out the fire with a small extinguisher to no avail.

“Between me and him (the other officer), we stopped the fire” he said. “Me and the officer pulled him (Wooldridge) out. I put a pillow and blanket over him.

August 15, 1979

METRO OFFICER WOOLDRIDGE DIES AT COUNTY HOSPITAL

Metropolitan Police Officer Clark A. Wooldridge, 22, died Tuesday at Southern Nevada Memorial Hospital, without regaining consciousness after a Sunday traffic accident.

Wooldridge, an officer for eight months, died shortly before 1 p.m. a hospital official said.

…Wooldridge is the son-in-law of City Commissioner Paul Christensen. Wooldridge and his wife, Paula, had been married about two years. They had no children…”

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