Sections of Nevada highways named in honor of fallen law enforcement officers
CARSON CITY — Segments of state highway have recently been dedicated as part of a new Nevada Department of Transportation program memorializing first responders who have lost their lives in the line of duty on state roadways.
Memorial signs have been installed on each direction of the following state highways, naming the up-to-one-mile sections of highway in honor of the following fallen officers:
MICAH DAVID MAY: Interstate 15 near West Sahara Avenue dedicated to Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Micah David May who died by vehicular assault in July 2021.
BENJAMIN MICHAEL JENKINS: U.S. 93 near the U.S. 93 Alternate junction (north of Ely) dedicated to Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Benjamin Michael Jenkins who died by gunshot in March 2020.
JACK LEE SPENCER, SR.: Interstate 80 approximately 20 miles east of Fernley (directly east of exit 65 Nightingale interchange) dedicated to Bureau of Indian Affairs Captain Jack Lee Spencer, Sr. who died in a vehicle crash in September 1998.
CARLOS J. BORLAND: I-80 approximately one mile east of Lovelock (near where I-80 crosses over the Humboldt River) dedicated to Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Carlos J. Borland who died by gunfire in December 1993.
CREIGHTON TRAVIS SPENCER: I-80 approximately 10 miles west of Elko (directly west of exit 292 Hunter interchange) dedicated to Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer Creighton Travis Spencer who died in a vehicle crash in March 2001.
The signs installed for Jack Lee Spencer, Sr. and Creighton Travis Spencer mark the first time that a Native American officer has been honored on Nevada’s state roadway network.
Law enforcement officers and first responders risk their lives every day to protect Nevadans and ensure the safety of Nevada roadways. Nevada’s Honorary Highway Names are an opportunity to honor Nevada first responders who have lost their lives during official business on state roads.
Other segments of state highway have previously been named in honor of individuals, including fallen law enforcement officers. One example is a section of I-80 near the Sparks Marina named in honor of fallen Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Daniel Peterson.
NDOT’s new Honorary Highway Name program establishes a formal process to request approximate one-mile sections of highway be named in honor of first responders who lost their lives while conducting official business on the state network. First responders include law enforcement officers, emergency services personnel, NDOT personnel, and tow truck operators. An Honorary Highway Name can be requested by immediate family members of the deceased.
“Keeping the Spencer name a visible part of our communities is an appropriate tribute to this family whose loved ones gave their own lives to protect ours,” Nevada Indian Commission Director Stacey Montooth explained. “The instinct to run to danger and the strength of character of law enforcement and all first responders is never so obvious as when our Circle of Life is broken. For the Nevada Indian Commission, this tribute to these two courageous Bureau of Indian Affairs officers is undertaken and supported with reverence and gratitude."
“The dedication signs honor the legacy of each of the Nevada State Troopers and first responders who lost their lives in the line of duty,” said Nevada State Police Director George Togliatti. “We will never forget their sacrifice in serving and protecting Nevada and our communities.”
“Whether law enforcement, EMS workers or traffic responders such as NDOT or tow truck personnel, Nevada’s first responders put their lives on the line every day with one goal: to help keep us all safe on Nevada highways,” NDOT Director Tracy Larkin Thomason explained. “This program is another opportunity for Nevadans to recognize and remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to serve us all.”