Firefighter goes to prison for drunk driving

A Nevada State Police trooper who stood in the way of a drunken wrong-way driver may never serve in that capacity again, his mother said Tuesday.

Firefighter James Arthur Coolbaugh, 31, was driving north in the southbound lanes of Highway 395 on October 20, 2023, when Officer Ross Miller drove his patrol car into the path of Coolbaugh’s pickup.

“He loved his job,” Miller’s mother said. “But he probably won’t be able to go back there. We will forgive you, but we are still angry.”
Miller’s father said his son enjoyed helping people.

I don’t hate you, but I hate what you did,” he told Coolbaugh. “The body heals, the mind takes longer. I wish my son could continue his love, go back and find love in what he did?

Coolbaugh’s parents testified on his behalf, along with his sponsor, Alcoholics Anonymous.

“He always tried to be the best brother and son he could be,” she said.

His father said Coolbaugh helped fight the Davis Fire last month as a member of a hot shot crew.

“As an elite firefighter, he is worth more to society than a long prison sentence,” he said.

Defense attorney Jennifer Arias Mayhew said Coolbaugh fought 39 fires during his career.

“He understands what it means to have a job and have a goal,” she said.

Prosecutor Ric Casper showed videos from another officer’s dash camera and Miller’s that show Coolbaugh’s pickup truck traveling north at 90 miles per hour.

The first officer activated his emergency lights when he saw Coolbaugh heading north. Miller then turned on his lights to flag down two other vehicles before driving south and turning into the median where Coolbaugh’s pickup truck collided with his patrol car.

After the collision, flames could be seen on Miller’s body camera through the patrol car window.

“I am truly sorry for my actions,” Coolbaugh said in court. “I have spent my whole life helping people. I hope you can forgive me.”

Coolbaugh admitted driving under the influence of alcohol and causing serious bodily injury, lasting a maximum of 20 years. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors recommended no more than eight years.

“You’re putting all of these people at risk,” District Judge Tod Young said as he gave Coolbaugh a prison sentence of 30 to 96 months and the mandatory $2,000 fine.