By Lauren Liebhaber
The Charlotte Observer
ODESSA, Texas — A Highway Patrol trooper died after being hit by a car while he was investigating a crash, Texas authorities said.
Trooper Kevin Alexis Ramirez Vasquez, 25, died Sept. 28, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety.
“Trooper Ramirez Vasquez was a true servant leader and a man of valor, honor and purpose,” the department said in a Facebook post announcing his death.
Officials said on the morning of Sept. 17, Ramirez Vasquez was investigating a crash along State Highway 302 near Odessa when a passing car struck him.
The trooper was taken to a hospital with serious injuries before being airlifted to a Lubbock-area hospital where he died, officials said.
“Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Kevin Alexis Ramirez Vasquez served this state honorably to his very last breath,” DPS Director Steven McCraw said.
“His commitment to keeping the roads safe, protecting the people of Texas , and the sacrifice he made will never be forgotten,” McCraw said. “I ask that you keep his family, friends and colleagues in your prayers during the difficult days ahead.”
Before becoming a trooper in 2023, Ramirez Vasquez served in the U.S. Army, officials said.
At the time of his death, Ramirez Vasquez was serving in the National Guard, the DPS release said.
Odessa is about a 340-mile drive northwest from Austin.
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