Texas Highway Patrol trooper dies in northwest Texas crash with semi-truck

CHILDRESS, Texas - A Texas Highway Patrol trooper died Wednesday afternoon following a crash with a semi-truck while attempting a traffic stop in northwest Texas, state officials said.

Fatal crash in Texas

What we know:

Trooper Sergio Romero, 27, was killed on the scene along U.S. Highway 287 near Childress around 4 p.m., according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS).

Investigators said Romero was attempting to pull over a vehicle when a semi pulled out in front of his patrol unit, causing a collision. The crash remains under investigation, and officials have not released further details regarding the driver of the semi-truck.

Trooper Sergio Romero

Romero had recently joined DPS as a member of the Class B-2025 academy and was stationed in Childress. Prior to his service with the state highway patrol, he worked for the Hall County Sheriff’s Office.

What they're saying:

"Today, we grieve the loss of one of our own," DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin said in a statement. "Trooper Sergio Romero served the people of his community and the state of Texas with courage, integrity and selfless devotion... We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made in service of his fellow Texans."

Romero is the 244th DPS officer to die in the line of duty since the agency's tracking began in 1823.

He is survived by his wife, Francisca, and two young sons. Funeral arrangements are pending.

Childress is located in the southeastern portion of the Texas Panhandle, sitting along U.S. Highway 287. It is about 115 miles southeast of Amarillo and roughly 250 miles northwest of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

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