An Arlington police officer is dead following a deadly traffic accident early Thursday morning, and law enforcement is looking for the suspected hit-and-run driver involved in the incident.
The officer, identified as Darrin McMichael, was traveling to work on his motorcycle on I-20 near the St. Augustine exit when traffic came to a stop, according to WFAA. McMichael could not stop in time and bumped into the SUV ahead of him.
The officer fell off his bike and was then struck by another vehicle, described by witnesses as a dark-colored Dodge or Chrysler sedan. The dark-colored vehicle sped away from the scene.
The officer was transported to the Baylor Scott & White emergency room in Dallas, where he was later pronounced dead from his injuries.
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office closed the freeway’s westbound lanes near the exit while investigating the scene. All lanes were open by mid-morning.
Members of the Arlington Police Department and Arlington Mayor Jim Ross gathered at the hospital to support the officer’s family and update the media.
Officer McMichael served on the Arlington police force for 24 years, the last 13 as a motorcycle officer.
“Officer Darrin McMichael was a respected and beloved member of our APD family,” said Arlington Chief of Police Al Jones. “We are heartbroken, and we are hurting. This is a devastating loss that will be felt for a long time.
“Please pray for his wife, who is also an APD employee, his family, his friends, and his APD family. They need all the support they can get right now,” Jones said.
Mayor Ross told WFAA that the fallen officer will be memorialized with a “wall of honor.”
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the accident and is asking anyone who captured dashcam video of the incident or saw the license plate of the dark-colored vehicle to contact Det. Chaney at 214-589-2323.
This is not the only fatal crash to have occurred this week. Two people were killed in a three-vehicle collision on eastbound I-30 near Cooks Lane during the early morning hours of September 18 at 12:30 a.m., as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
