IUPD officer remembers friends

IU Police Department Lt. Greg Butler's job has never allowed him to complete the entire 1,100 miles of the Concerns of Police Survivors charity ride, but he always participates as much as he can.\nThis year, he rode the first five days of the 13-day fundraising event and returned to Bloomington on Sunday to help during move-in week. He planned to complete the final five days as well, but Tuesday he learned he would not be doing that. A terrible accident had occurred -- two of his friends died in the ride, which has now been postponed.\nIndiana State Police identified the victims as retired Lake County Sheriff's Department Chief Gary Martin and Indiana State Police Recruit Academy Commander Gary Dudley, who graduated from the IUPD Police Academy in the '70s, IUPD Capt. Jerry Minger said.\nThe accident occurred at about 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, when a truck struck the cyclists' support truck from behind, causing it to crash into the group of riders. Retired Indianapolis Police Department officer Spencer Moore was injured in the accident, as well as Rocky Bumpas, the driver of the support truck and Gary Adams, the driver of the truck that police say crashed into the support truck, the Associated Press reported. The accident occurred on State Road 63, south of Interstate 74, in Vermillion County.\nButler knew Dudley well, and they both were training directors at their academies. He also knew him through the ride itself, which he said Dudley was responsible for planning and organizing.\n"He's the one who coordinates all aspects of the ride," Butler said.\nBecause of the tragedy, the rest of the ride has been postponed until after the funerals. Butler said they do not plan to complete all of the scheduled route but do plan to ride into Crown Hill Cemetery in Indianapolis, where the ride was scheduled to finish, for a ceremony. \nThe organization raises money for surviving family members of officers killed in the line of duty, so the ceremony will involve a presentation of checks to the families, as planned. Butler said Dudley was always responsible for the ceremony and the presentation of the checks and that Dudley's wife Carolyn asked that they go through with it.\nButler said he is not sure what will happen to the ride now that its dedicated organizer is gone, but said he believes it will continue in some form. After all, Butler said, Dudley died for the cause.\n"I would expect some form of the ride to continue because the primary purpose is to raise awareness for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice," Butler said.\nDudley and Martin's bodies were transported back to their hometowns by police escort Wednesday, Indiana State Police Sgt. Joe Watts said. A preliminary inspection of both the trucks involved in the accident revealed no mechanical or equipment deficiencies.\nIndiana State Police troopers are asking anyone who might have seen the group riding south of I-74 to contact the them at (812) 299-1151 or (812) 299-1152.\n--The Associated Press contributed to this report.