The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, which is investigating the crash, will visit Ford Motor Co. in Detroit in hopes of retrieving "data recorder" information they hope will help them understand what contributed to the crash.

The police department does not have the equipment to retrieve the data from the trooper's car, a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria.

Trooper Joshua M. Corcran was traveling north in the left lane of Interstate 15 when his cruiser hit the rear of a 1988 Cadillac, carrying five Utahns, according to police.

The Cadillac was nearly torn in half, and three of its occupants were ejected. Four people were killed: Jose Roberto Mejia Lang, 19, of Santa Clara; Jose Manuel Sanchez Lopez, 42, of St. George; Reymunda Lopez-Vazquez, 21, of Washington and Victor De La Cruz-De Leon, 21, of Washington.

Cecilia Lopez De La Cruz, who is pregnant with twins, survived and remained in University Medical Center in Las Vegas on Tuesday.

There was nothing to indicate Corcran was in pursuit of another vehicle or assigned to a call when the accident occurred, police said.

Police had not yet interviewed Corcran, who has hired Steve Wolfson, a criminal defense lawyer and a Las Vegas city councilman.

In an interview with KLAS-TV, Wolfson said Corcran was tracking a speeder at the time of the accident and attempted to pass a semitrailer truck when the crash occurred.

Wolfson told KLAS the crash was an accident and that Corcran "wasn't out there driving recklessly and carelessly with an intention to hurt anyone at all."

jhill@sltrib.com