Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Michael R. Bluff sentenced Jason Howard Engel, 42, of Camp Verde, to 15 years in the Arizona State Prison on Nov. 18. The charges stem from a vehicular collision that occurred Sept. 7, when Engel ran a red light at the intersection of State Route 89A and Willard Street, striking and killing Cottonwood Police Cmdr. Jody Makuch, who was off duty.
Multiple witnesses at Willard Street saw Engel, in a 2001 Chevrolet Tahoe, run the red light at the intersection where Makuch was stationary on his motorcycle waiting to proceed east. Immediately prior to the collision two witnesses observed Engel run the red light at SR 89A and Sixth Street heading westbound on State Route 89A.
Multiple other vehicles with passengers on the roadway were endangered by Engel’s reckless driving which included running two red lights and driving left of the center lane with little or no braking.
At the scene, Engel exhibited signs and symptoms of alcohol impairment.
Blood drawn within two hours of the collision showed Engel’s blood alcohol content to be 0.109%, above the legal limit of 0.08%. Engel was not injured in the collision.
Makuch was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased.
Engel pleaded guilty on Oct. 19 to one count of manslaughter, a Class Two felony, and five counts of endangerment, all Class Six felonies.
Makuch’s funeral service was held Sept. 18 at Verde Community Church in Cottonwood.
“Jody Makuch represented the best in humanity. He was first and foremost a loving and dedicated husband and father. His family was everything to him. He was a veteran, selfless public servant, mentor and friend. He will be greatly missed. We ask that the public keep his family in their thoughts and prayers during this tragic and difficult time and respect their privacy,” Cottonwood Police Chief Steve Gesell stated Sept. 10.
Makuch began his career in law enforcement in 1998 as a police officer with Elk City Police Department in Oklahoma. Makuch moved to Arizona and has been with the Cottonwood Police Department since January 2000. He was promoted to commander in November 2009.
Makuch was a graduate of the 245th session of the FBI National Academy. He worked various duties including Corrections, Patrol, Field Training Officer, SWAT and Field Training supervisor. He served for seven and a half years in the U.S. Army prior to his law enforcement career. His various job specialties while serving in the Army included artillery, corrections and military police.
Makuch is survived by his wife, Joanna; their two adult daughters Ashleigh and Gabrielle; and two sons, 13-year-old Hudson and 12-year-old Spencer.
