Cottonwood Police Department commander is killed in a crash

COTTONWOOD, Ariz. (AP) - A Cottonwood Police Department commander has been killed in an off-duty motorcycle accident, authorities said Tuesday.

Jody Makuch, 49, was riding his motorcycle on State Route 89 through Cottonwood on Monday afternoon when a SUV reportedly crossed the center line and caused a head-on crash.

Makuch was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.

Cottonwood police said Makuch had been with the department since January 2000 and was promoted to sergeant in 2005 and commander in 2009.

He began his law enforcement career in 1998 with the Elk City Police Department in Oklahoma before moving to Arizona.

Cottonwood is 38 miles (61 kilometers) southwest of Flagstaff.

Arizona Department of Public Safety officials said the driver of the SUV allegedly was driving impaired and has been booked into jail on suspicion of manslaughter.

Northern Arizona University police said Makuch frequently worked overtime events at the Flagstaff campus and worked with youth development groups.

They also said Makuch’s daughter attended NAU and was a student employee of the university’s police department.