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TX Officer Killed By Car While Helping Stranded Motorist

EUFAULA, OKLAHOMA AND NOLANVILLE, CENTRAL TEXAS — An off-duty Central Texas police officer was killed in a traffic accident in Oklahoma Tuesday evening.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol says Nolanville reserve officer Patrick Sirois, 50, of Copperas Cove, died in the accident about one mile north of Eufaula, about 80 miles southeast of Tulsa.

State Troopers say Sirois was northbound on Highway 69 when he noticed a 2004 Ford Pickup stalled on the southbound side of the roadway. He stopped and was talking with the driver of that truck when the two men noticed a 1998 Ford Taurus heading toward them.

Patrick Sirois

Troopers say the car, driven by Beonce Hobson, 17, of Checotah, Okla., hit the pickup truck and pinned Sirois between it and a guardrail at about 7:50 p.m. Sirois was wearing a reflective traffic vest and had his badge and firearm visible at the time of the accident.

“Without this man’s actions, the other driver would have died,” said Nolanville Police Officer Dan LaCroix, who was good friends with Sirois.

He was pronounced dead at a Eufaula hospital. There were no other injuries.

In addition to being a Nolanville officer, Sirois also worked with the Department of Defense as a civilian police officer on Fort Hood.

A large gathering of more than 20 people showed up this evening at the Crawford-Bower Funeral Home at 1615 South Fort Hood Road in Killeen. The body arrived with a police escort shortly after 8:30 pm.

Area law enforcement and firefighters helped escort the body to the funeral home. Funeral arrangements are still pending.

“Pat left a little bit of himself with each one of us,” said LaCroix. “I hope that each one of us will take a little bit of Pat with us for the rest of our lives and try to be better police officers.”