A Texas police officer is being hailed a hero after he died in the line of duty, protecting motorists from a wrong-way driver fleeing cops.
Navasota Police Sgt. Mark Butler died Wednesday afternoon after getting in the way of a female suspect wanted for attempting to cash a fake check at a local Prosperity Bank.
The woman took off in a black Jeep Wrangler when officers approached her and drove against traffic on Highway 6 in Navasota.
Butler responded to the scene, maneuvering his marked patrol vehicle in a way to collide with the suspect preventing a wider tragedy on the busy highway.
“I don’t believe we could have made it out if it wasn’t for the officer. He selflessly gave himself up so nobody else would perish,” motorist Jonathan Crider said.
“We changed lanes five seconds before the impact. He didn’t swerve or brake. He sacrificed himself to save everyone behind us. I truly owe my life to him.”
