Police officer killed in crash

A Colorado Springs police officer was killed Monday evening in a motorcycle crash on the city’s east side.

The crash occurred about 5:30 p.m. at Barnes Road and Tutt Boulevard when an eastbound minivan turning left onto Tutt hit an off-duty officer who was traveling west.

The 36-year-old female driver of the minivan wasn’t injured, but her 10-year-old daughter in the front passenger seat of the van was taken to a hospital with serious head injuries. Both were wearing seat belts.

The officer wasn’t wearing a helmet, police said. No names were released.

“These things are difficult enough for our officers to deal with. The death and the carnage that they see and deal with every day,” said Lt. David Whitlock, police spokesman. “When it is one of your own, it certainly brings out the professionalism of our people and is a pretty good demonstration to our community of what we’re made of.”

Last month, another off-duty police officer, Thomas Heath, died of injuries suffered in a motorcycle crash in western Colorado. He was wearing a helmet.

Two weeks ago, officer Steven Davis, a Colorado Springs motorcycle officer, was seriously injured when he was hit by a car in downtown Colorado Springs. He remains at Memorial Hospital.

Watch gazette.com throughout the day for updates.

Police have just released details on the victim and suspect.