As the Truckee community mourns the loss of CHP Officer Nathan Taylor, who died Sunday after being struck by a vehicle on I-80 near Castle Peak Road, his peers and others recall the 35-year-old officer as being an incredible officer and person.
“He was a class act guy; the kind of officer we always aim to be,” CHP Officer Chris Nave, public information officer for the Gold Run office, said of Taylor. “He was the guy who went the extra mile.”
Nave recalled a time when Taylor gave $500 to a family to get home, and said that the officer was constantly helping others while he was on duty, whether using his tools to fix cars or buying bus tickets so people could get home. Taylor would frequently give out his cell phone number to make sure people got home safely, Nave said. Stories of Taylor’s kindness spread on Facebook, too.
“I got to meet him three weeks ago. He helped me and my family when we crashed,” wrote Rio Linda resident Kathleen Guardado on the CHP-Gold Run Facebook page March 16. “He stayed with us for seven hours while they were trying to get our truck out of the snow. He gave us his tools and told us when we were done where to drop them off … He made sure my kids were warm and put them in the CHP vehicle.”
Alameda resident Paxton Brewer also posted about his recent encounter with Taylor as he was hitchhiking at Donner Summit after a failed backcountry ski trip. Taylor gave Brewer a 45-minute ride and his cell phone number.
“Nathan Taylor was a good man. He was kind, and giving, and he wanted to help,” Brewer wrote. “He challenged my prejudice against the police. He inspired me to be a better man.”
The Truckee community paid its respects to Taylor on Wednesday as a procession was held on I-80 from Reno to Taylor’s home of Rocklin. The overpasses in Truckee were packed with the California Highway Patrol, Truckee Police, Placer County Sheriff’s Office, the Truckee Fire Protection District, as well as other agencies and community members. The CHP Truckee office reported that the support for Taylor “has been absolutely amazing.”
‘Slow Down’
On Sat., March 12, at approximately 2:25 p.m., Taylor, who worked out of the CHP Gold Run Area, was investigating a traffic collision in the area of westbound I-80 at Castle Peak Road when he was struck by a vehicle. He suffered major injuries and was transported to Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno. Taylor, who had been a member of the CHP for nearly six years, succumbed to his injuries, and passed away late Sunday night. He was surrounded by his family, friends, and members of the CHP’s Gold Run Area Office, according to a CHP press release.
He is survived by a wife, and three sons — 7, 5, and 2 — as well as both parents and two brothers, one of whom is a CHP officer in the Clear Lake area.
The vehicle that struck Taylor was driven by 19-year-old Truckee resident Ivy Soon Young Villnow, who lost control of her vehicle as she was approaching the wreck, Nave said. He said it was snowing at the time and she did not see Taylor and rolled over in the center divide. The accident is still under investigation, but drugs and alcohol are not suspected, Nave said. Villnow was not arrested, and it is suspected she was going too fast for the weather conditions.
“We can’t stress enough for folks to slow down,” Nave said.
CHP Truckee Officer Marc Peachey emphasized the importance of driving slowly during winter storms, noting there was also a fatality on Highway 89 on March 11. The cause of that accident is still under investigation as to why the driver lost control of her vehicle. He also noted that five CHP patrol vehicles have been hit this winter season on I-80 in the area due to people driving too fast and losing control of their vehicles. The officers in those collisions sustained minor injuries, he said.
“When it’s slick, it doesn’t matter if you have four wheel drive,” Peachey said. “When there are winter conditions, or even just wet roadways, slow down and increase your following distance. Also, when you see stopped emergency vehicles, slow down and move over.”
