California: Alameda County sheriff's deputy dies after being struck by inmate transport bus
An Alameda County sheriff’s deputy died Thursday a day after he was struck by an inmate transport bus at the Santa Rita jail, authorities said. Deputy Michael Foley was hospitalized Wednesday after suffering head injuries, according to the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. Foley was a 29-year veteran of the Concord Police Department. After retiring, he was hired by the sheriff’s office in 2007.
“It is with great sadness we report that Alameda County Deputy Sheriff Michael Foley has died from his injuries,” the sheriff’s office tweeted Thursday. The accident occurred about 6 a.m. as the bus was leaving the jail to pick up bagged lunches for inmates, Sheriff Gregory Ahern said at a news conference Wednesday.
Foley, 60, was walking through the parking lot when he was struck by the bus, which was traveling about 15 mph, he said. The driver did not see Foley, Ahern said.
“At 6 o’clock in the morning, the parking lot is extremely dark and the asphalt, which is dark, is covered with water from the recent rains and the deputy, who was struck, was wearing dark, navy blue clothing,” he said. After the accident, Ahern said he met with Foley’s family and talked to fellow deputies. He said the driver, who is also a deputy, was “heartbroken.”
“I told him, ‘This won’t be done and over with this afternoon and won’t be done and over with tomorrow,’” Ahern said. “This is going to be a lasting effect on him and our agency as well.”
The sheriff said Foley was one of the hardest working deputies and often volunteered to work overtime. In a statement on Facebook, the sheriff’s office said Thursday that Foley mentored “countless numbers of young officers throughout his career.”
“All of us who were touched by his life will never forget him,” the sheriff’s office said. “He is a role model and a great example for others to follow. Our hearts are broken today.”
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