A Fort Worth police officer died Monday after he was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 35 West as he worked to clear a separate crash earlier in the morning.
Sgt. Billy Randolph was working a motor vehicle accident on I-35W southbound near Sycamore School Road early Monday morning. During the course of the cleanup and investigation, Randolph, who was standing outside his patrol vehicle, was struck by a vehicle that drove through the accident scene, police said in a news release.
Randolph was taken to John Peter Smith Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Sgt. Randolph was one of the hardest working people I had ever been around,” Fort Worth police Chief Neil Noakes told media outlets, including KXAS-TV (NBC5), during a news conference outside the hospital. The police chief continued, later saying, “I am going to miss him as a friend but I am going to miss his leadership as well.”
The driver of the vehicle police say struck Randolph was placed in custody. The news release did not identify the driver nor state whether the driver would face criminal charges. Noakes said an investigation was underway by the department’s traffic investigations, major case and homicide units.
During the news conference, Noakes said it was “clear” that police were addressing a prior crash on the roadway and that the driver had plowed through protective barricades set up by authorities.
In a statement on X, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker said that the driver’s “senseless act has left a void in our hearts and serves as a stark reminder of the risks our officers face every day to keep our streets safe.”
Randolph had served with the Fort Worth police department for 29 years. A procession at 11 a.m. took his body from John Peter Smith Hospital to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s office.
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