A Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Highway Patrol trooper died Monday night in San Jacinto County when his patrol vehicle crashed while he was responding to an emergency call, officials said.
Trooper Jerry Wayne Adamick Jr., 44, was driving south on FM 945 around 9:15 p.m. Sept. 15 when his vehicle left the roadway, struck a tree and caught fire, according to DPS. He died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation.
“Our hearts are broken today,” DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin said in a statement. “Trooper Adamick bravely served our country for many years, and we were proud to have him choose to continue his service as part of the DPS family. He had so much life ahead of him, and today we grieve with his family and friends.”
Adamick, stationed in Coldspring about 60 miles north of Houston, joined DPS as a member of Class A-2024 after more than 20 years in the U.S. Army, where he completed multiple overseas tours. He received the Veterans National Defense Award in June 2024. His family said becoming a trooper was his lifelong dream.
He is survived by his wife, Roxanne, and five adult children.
Trooper Adamick is the 242nd DPS officer to die in the line of duty since the agency’s founding in 1823. Funeral arrangements are pending.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Texas DPS trooper killed in San Jacinto County crash while on emergency call
Reporting by Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News / Amarillo Globe-News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
