Motor Vehicle Homicide Charge in Death of Officer

By: Courtesy: WOWT Email

Updated: Wed 7:54 AM, Oct 10, 2012

"It just simply drives home the point of how senseless this was. This really did not have to happen," said Matt Anderson of Ashland, a friend of Dan Ottis.

A motor vehicle homicide charge has been filed in the death of an off-duty police officer.

The Sarpy County attorney has charged Shawn Stryker, 23, of Papillion, in the August 7 death of Daniel Ottis, 58, of Ashland.

Ottis was riding his motorcycle to work in Ashland where he'd been a police officer for the last 10 years when a pickup rear-ended another pickup in the opposite lane and then went into the motorcycle's path.

"It just simply drives home the point of how senseless this was. This really did not have to happen," said Matt Anderson of Ashland, a friend of Dan Ottis.

The crash happened in the early evening near 234th Street and Highway 6.

Stryker is charged with the unintentional death of Ottis, a class three felony.

The Nebraska State Patrol investigated the case and reconstructed the accident.

Investigators say Stryker was on his cellphone and speeding in the 60mph zone and did not brake when he hit a pickup from behind. That pickup was waiting to turn left on the two-lane road. Both pickups ended up in the same ditch.

Shawn Stryker will be arraigned in Sarpy County court on October 31.

A conviction on the Motor Vehicle Homicide felony carries a penalty of 1-20 years in prison.