A Dallas police officer was hit and killed by a suspected drunk driver early Saturday morning while directing traffic around an accident on the highway.
At about 1:45 am, the Dallas officer blocked traffic with his police car emergency lights on after an accident in the north lanes of North Central Expressway on Walnut Hill Lane.
A man driving a Kia Forte at high speed hit the officer while standing outside his patrol car to direct traffic from a previous incident.
The officer was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. His identity has not been released.
The officer leaves behind a woman who is pregnant with their first child, police officials said. He was hired in March 2019.
“Our department is grieving again, but we are encouraged by the strength of his family,” Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia said in a Tweet. “Godspeed my brother.”
Police said the driver of the vehicle that hit the officer turned out to be drunk. Charges are pending.
Neither the driver nor his passenger were injured, police said.
Police said slippery and icy roads were not a factor in the crash.
The highway has been closed as police continue to investigate the incident.
Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a written statement that Dallas mourned the loss of the officer.
“He died way too young, but the measure of a life is not long life, but what a person does with the time they have. And this officer devoted his time to serving our big city in an inherently dangerous job,” Johnson said. “We are forever indebted to him and forever deeply saddened by this tragedy. Today I pray for his family, friends and colleagues.