Dallas Motorcycle Officer Killed While Escorting Hillary Clinton Motorcade

DALLAS (AP) - Hillary Rodham Clinton's only campaign swing through North Texas was cut short Friday after a police officer in her motorcade died in a crash on the way to a rally.

The Democratic presidential candidate spoke to supporters for less than 20 minutes in near-freezing temperatures about three miles from the crash site before delivering a somber statement to reporters after the event.

"We are just heartsick at this loss of life in the line of duty," Clinton said.

Dallas police said 49-year-old Sr. Cpl. Victor Lozada-Tirado was thrown from his motorcycle when it clipped a curb on a viaduct near downtown. He was in the rear of the motorcade, police said, following it as it took a turn not far from Dealey Plaza, where

John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

Clinton canceled an appearance in neighboring Fort Worth, telling about 2,000 people gathered outside the Tarrant County courthouse that it would be inappropriate to campaign in the wake of the accident. Instead, the New York senator visited Lozada-Tirado's family at the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

"It is important that we respect and appreciate their service," Clinton said after her rally. "I certainly am grateful for all they do for me."

The Dallas-Fort Worth swing, one day after a debate with rival Barack Obama in Austin, came after Clinton spent most of the week on the Texas-Mexico border. She was headed to Ohio later Friday.

Clinton didn't mention the crash to about 1,000 supporters and appeared upbeat at the first stop in Dallas. She struck familiar themes of universal health care, ending the war in Iraq and bringing relief to homeowners facing foreclosure.

During a pause, one supporter got her attention long enough to point out that he has a $3,000 copay for prescription drugs, which Clinton announced to the crowd.

"It is morally wrong and it's economically dumb for us not to cover everybody," she said. "And we are going to do that."

Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle, accompanied by Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert at the hospital, said the motorcades involve intricate driving.

"The motorcycle escorts we do are very dangerous," Kunkle said. "They require officers to speed up and ride ahead of the motorcade and set up, and do that over and over again. So there's always an element of danger to these motorcades, but the accident is still under investigation."

Asked if police had enough lead time to plan a safe route, spokesman Lt. Vernon Hale said, "It doesn't matter with our guys. Of course, we've already had one tragedy in Dallas, so we've been doing this a long time. The know exactly how to do it."

In August, an Albuquerque, N.M., police officer in President Bush's motorcade died in a motorcycle crash. Germaine Casey, 40, died on Aug. 27 when he crashed as Bush returned to the airport after a fundraiser for Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M.

In November 2006, a Honolulu officer died when he and two other motorcycle officers crashed while part of a presidential motorcade.

By SCHUYLER DIXON

Associated Press Writer

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Associated Press Writers Anabelle Garay and Terry Wallace

contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)