# Kathrene Barr - [Sequim, Washington]



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

Wash. off-duty officer dies in motorcycle crash

Officer Down: Kathrene Barr - [Sequim, Washington]

Biographical Info

Age: 27

Additional Info: Officer Barr was the Sequim department's first school resource officer.

Incident Details

Cause of Death: Officer Barr was killed in a motorcycle accident.

Date of Incident: July 24, 2005

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SEQUIM, Wash. -- A Sequim police officer was identified late Sunday night as the person killed in an off-duty, head-on motorcycle crash between Forks and Clallam Bay earlier in the day.

Kathrene "Kathy" Barr, 27, a full-time officer since last September, was riding her 2004 Yamaha motorcycle northbound on state Highway 113 with a small group of friends about 3:30 p.m. when her motorcycle failed to negotiate a right curve, said Washington State Patrol spokesman Brian George.

The motorcycle crossed the centerline and struck the right-front bumper of a southbound 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck that was towing a boat trailer, George said.

Related Story:

Off-duty Sequim police officer dies in motorcycle crash
2005-07-26
by RAUL VASQUEZ

SEQUIM -- A Sequim police officer was identified late Sunday night as the person killed in an off-duty, head-on motorcycle crash between Forks and Clallam Bay earlier in the day.

Kathrene ``Kathy'' Barr, 27, a full-time officer since last September, was riding her 2004 Yamaha motorcycle northbound on state Highway 113 with a small group of friends about 3:30 p.m. when her motorcycle failed to negotiate a right curve, said Washington State Patrol spokesman Brian George.

The motorcycle crossed the centerline and struck the right-front bumper of a southbound 2000 Chevrolet pickup truck that was towing a boat trailer, George said.

The crash, which occurred about eight miles north of U.S. Highway 101, did not cause any injuries to the truck's driver -- Frank Furtado of Southworth -- or its two passengers, Lahainaluna Furtado and Lenny Sensun of Lacey.

Barr, who was known by her maiden name instead of her legal surname of Edelberg from a former marriage, was pronounced dead at the scene by a deputy coroner.

Moment of silence

On Monday, Sequim Mayor Walter Schubert opened a City Council meeting with a moment of silence for Barr as well as for Clallam County Assessor Linda Owings-Rosenburgh, who committed suicide last week.

Sequim police officials mourned their colleague.

``Kathy was an exceptional city employee, and I share the beliefs of other community leaders and citizens that this is a huge loss to the city and the Barr family,'' said Bill Elliott, city manager.

``Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Barr family and to the men and women of the Police Department.''

Barr had been a reserve officer since September 2002 and was hired full-time two years later.

She was the Sequim department's first school resource officer.

``Kathy always had a positive attitude and was thrilled with her assignment working with the schools,'' said police Sgt. Sheri Crain.

``Trying to fill the shoes of Kathy will be an extremely daunting task.''

Police Chief Robert Spinks had to break the news to his officers on Monday.

``We spend a lot of time working with crime victims and seeing this kind of loss in our professional capacity,'' Spinks said.

``But when it involves one of your own, it is obviously a traumatic loss to the department and the community.

``Kathy was unique in being just the right fit for an officer working in the schools -- she was breathing life into that program.''


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