South Gate : Service for Officer Who Died in Dirt Bike Crash

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at the Church of Christ for South Gate police officer Steven Lee Clugston, who died from injuries received in a dirt bike accident in Laughlin, Nev.

Clugston, 39, was critically injured March 17 when his motorcycle lost power and he landed in a ditch he was trying to jump. Clugston was airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he died Saturday after surgery.

Clugston was a regular participant in the annual California Police Olympics in the motocross dirt bike competition.

Six South Gate police officers attended Clugston’s funeral Wednesday in Pittsburg, Kan.

Clugston is survived by his mother and father, William and Alma Clugston, of McCune, Kan., and a brother, Terry of El Cajon.

“This comes as a tremendous shock to us all,” South Gate Police Chief Ronald George said. “He was an extremely popular officer who was always willing to give his time to help someone who needed him.”

Clugston started working at the South Gate department in 1978 as a reserve officer and became a regular policeman two years later. He was named outstanding officer of the year in 1985 for his work as an automobile theft detective.

This year he was presented with an award by the California Highway Patrol and the Automobile Club of Southern California for outstanding investigative work involving automobile thefts.

His most recent assignment was as a field training officer.