The Midland Police Department (MPD) joined the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) in mourning the loss of Kevin Ramirez Vasquez, a highway patrolman.
According to MPD, the 25-year-old was struck by a vehicle on September 17 while investigating a crash along State Highway (SH) 302 in adjacent Ector County. He succumbed to his injuries on September 28. MPD extended its thoughts and prayers to the late law enforcement officer’s family, friends, and the entire Texas DPS community in a September 30 Facebook post.
DPS Director Steven McCraw said in a September 29 press release that Ramirez Vasquez "served this state honorably to his very last breath." According to the release, Ramirez Vasquez joined DPS in 2023 after serving in the U.S. Army and the National Guard. He is the 241st DPS officer to die in the line of duty since 1823.
Ramirez Vasquez leaves behind his parents and three siblings, according to McCraw. DPS posted on Facebook that the trooper will be escorted home to Harris County on October 1. He will be flown to the Houston Executive Airport and then transported to Brookside Funeral Home, with the procession commencing around 1:45 p.m. Funeral arrangements are pending.