Riverside police chief resigns after accident

Riverside Police Chief Russ Leach stepped down Thursday just three days after he crashed a city-owned car under circumstances that have raised questions about his behavior and his department’s response.

City Manager Bradley Hudson said Leach’s retirement for “medical reasons” was effective immediately. He also announced a “sweeping Internal Affairs investigation” into the Police Department’s actions after the crash, to be overseen by Hudson and former Riverside County Dist. Atty. Grover Trask.

Leach, who has been chief since 2000, resigned hours after the Police Department released a report about his single-car crash that occurred about 3 a.m. Monday.

The report describes a confused Leach, who was apparently unaware that he had just plowed into a fire hydrant, hit a light pole and then driven on the rims of his black Chrysler 300 for three more miles before the car came to rest.

Sgt. Frank Orta, who wrote the report, checked a box for “HBD -- Impairment Unknown.” HBD stands for “has been drinking,” although the report provides no indication that Leach was given a field sobriety test.

Leach “was unable to provide a statement regarding the traffic collision,” states the report, which was posted online by the Press-Enterprise. He “repeated several times that he had a flat tire and needed to fix the tire. It was evident that he was unaware that he had a collision and his vehicle suffered major damages.”

After the crash, Leach, 61, was placed on medical leave. Earlier Thursday, before his retirement was announced, he apologized for the accident, saying he was on prescription medication and “disoriented.” He did not say whether he had been drinking.

The incident occurred near Central and Hillside avenues. A passing motorist flagged down two police officers to report what appeared to be a drunk driver who had struck a hydrant and pole and kept on going.

The officers found the car with major damage to the grille, fender, doors and rear end. Inside was their chief, dazed but otherwise unhurt.

The driver “would only say that he had a flat tire and that he had driven into a field or dirt road. He also could not recall the location of the field or dirt road,” the report said.

It concluded by saying the accident had been caused by the chief’s “unsafe turning” and that he had failed to drive on the right side of the road, which caused the car to jump a curb and hit the hydrant and pole.

A few days earlier, Leach had warned citizens against drinking and driving on Super Bowl Sunday.

“Designating a sober driver should be on the top of everyone’s Super Bowl party list,” he said. “It’s just one of several easy steps to help save lives.”

Riverside Assistant Chief John DeLaRosa has turned the investigation over to the California Highway Patrol, which is examining Leach’s car and will interview the officers on duty that night.

Jim Abele, assistant CHP Inland Division chief, said Thursday that his investigators were still tracking down witnesses and gathering evidence in the case.

“I don’t want to comment now until we get all the details,” he said. “We came into this 48 hours after it happened, and we are still behind the eight ball.”

In the meantime, the agency put out a news release seeking the public’s help. “Anyone that might have seen a black sedan driving within the city of Riverside on its rims on February 8, 2010, between the hours of midnight and 3 a.m. is asked to contact the CHP,” the release says.

Witnesses should call Officer Mario Lopez or Officer Danny Hesser at (909) 806-2486 or (909) 806-2487.

david.kelly@latimes.com