Officer Jason Read had endured a terrible injury, but he seemed to be getting better. He started physical therapy and could walk some. He’d also been speaking with his colleagues from the Centerville Police Department. He was focused on getting released from the hospital.
“He knew he had a long road to recovery because he got pretty banged up in that crash,” Centerville Lt. Zan Robison said, “but he was looking forward to working through it and getting back healthy again.
“But unfortunately it took a turn for the worse.”
Read died unexpectedly Tuesday morning at the McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, where he’d been receiving treatment since he was hurt in a motorcycle crash Sept. 23. He was 40.
Robison said Read died because of “setbacks and complications” from the crash just over two weeks ago. Read was airlifted to the hospital after he was struck by a car while riding his personal motorcycle on Antelope Drive near 2200 West in Syracuse. He was off-duty at the time.
Syracuse police detective Erin Behm said the crash is still under investigation.
Read, a married father of three, joined the Centerville Police Department in 2005. He served as a K-9 officer for three years and was also assigned to the problem-oriented policing unit, working on a variety of community crime-related issues. At the time of his passing, he was assigned as a patrol officer and field training officer, according to a news release from the department.
Robison, who trained Read when he started the job, said Read had an uncanny ability to find people who didn’t want to be found. It earned him a reputation around the department. Robison said investigators would come to Read when they needed help locating someone, and Read typically delivered.
Robison said he didn’t know what Read’s secret was, but his memory certainly helped. Read could always remember a name, face or license plate number.
“We were lucky to have had him for a full 13 years,” Robison said. “Not everyone sticks around that long.”
Work and family came first for Read. Then, Robison said, came riding motorcycles. If he wasn’t at work or spending time with his wife and kids, Robison said Read was riding his Harley.
“[It’s] unfortunate that something he loved so much ended up being one of the last things he did in his life,” Robison said.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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