AP Photo / Evan Vucci

A Rio Rancho, New Mexico motorcycle officer receives emergency medical attention from two unidentified officers at the scene of a crash. The officer, who later died at University of New Mexico Hospital, was riding in a presidential motorcade.at the Albuquerque International Sunport Monday, Aug. 27, 2007.

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A Rio Rancho police officer escorting President Bush's motorcade was killed in a motorcycle crash near the Albuquerque International Sunport today.

Germaine Casey, 40, died at 3:30 p.m. at University of New Mexico Hospital, said Rio Rancho Police Department spokesman Officer John Francis. Casey leaves behind two children, ages 17 and 14, Francis said.

Witnesses said the crash occurred on an access road to the airport a little before 2 p.m. The officer's motorcycle hit a curb and then a tree, Francis said.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but Casey did not collide with other members of the motorcade, Francis said.

Bush was returning to Air Force One after a private fund-raiser for Sen. Pete Domenici in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque. He flew out shortly after the accident.

Bush's car was behind Casey in the motorcade, and the president saw the scene as he passed, Francis said.

Bush called later to express his condolences to the department and planned to call Casey's family, Francis said.

Bernalillo County Sheriff Darren White, who was in the motorcade, said he went past the scene shortly after the crash and "his heart sank." White said the motorcade was traveling "pretty fast" at the time of the crash.

Francis said Casey had transferred to the Rio Rancho force a few years ago from the UNM police department. He had received special training in riding in motorcades and had previously escorted Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney on separate occasions.

Access into the airport was not affected by the crash, said spokesman Daniel Jiron. Traffic leaving the airport was experiencing about a 15-minute delay this afternoon, he said.

This is the second time a local motorcycle officer has been involved in a crash while escorting the president. In February 2006, a police officer with the town of Bernalillo lost control of his motorcycle on I-25 southbound near Avenida Cesar Chavez. Sgt. Jerry Nixon suffered minor injuries.

In November 2006, a police officer in Honolulu died after his motorcycle collided with two other officers in a motorcade escorting the president.