LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — The Nevada Freeway Patrol, a division of the Nevada State Police, formally launched the Fourth Annual Becoming a member of Forces marketing campaign Saturday.
The marketing campaign was a robust tribute to Trooper Micah Could, who was killed within the line of responsibility by an impaired driver on July 29, 2021.
The occasion introduced officers, state officers, and grieving relations all united underneath a shared message: “You Choose Not to Drive Impaired.”
“That day I was informed by a friend of mine who said, ‘Hey, if you ever need anything, I’m here for you,’ and I was like, ‘What are you talking about?'” Joanna Could, spouse of fallen state trooper Micah Could, stated. “It turns out that next thing I know, Nevada Highway Patrol is giving me that knock at the door that every wife or husband dreads.”
Funded by the Nevada Workplace of Visitors Security, the statewide Becoming a member of Forces initiative brings collectively legislation enforcement companies from throughout the state to focus on impaired driving with stepped-up patrols and DUI checkpoints. The objective is easy: save lives and forestall tragedies just like the one which claimed Trooper Could’s.
“It was like somebody had just punched me in the gut, taken my heart, and just stomped on it. When I say my heart hurts, I don’t mean having a heart attack, it physically hurts,” Could stated.
In the course of the ride-along, Joanna joined troopers on patrol, retracing the streets her husband as soon as served to honor his reminiscence and assist amplify the hazards of driving underneath the affect.
Trooper Could was killed throughout a visitors cease on I-15 whereas trying to deploy cease sticks to finish a pursuit. The suspect was driving impaired and struck Could as he carried out his responsibility. His loss devastated the legislation enforcement group and left an enduring impression on DUI prevention efforts statewide.
Since its inception, the Becoming a member of Forces marketing campaign has led to hundreds of DUI arrests and elevated public consciousness surrounding impaired driving. The 2025 marketing campaign will run by way of the summer time with ongoing enforcement exercise throughout Nevada.
Organizers say the easiest way for the general public to honor Trooper Could is to make accountable selections.
