Duty Death: Kenneth Joseph Starrs - [Kleberg County]
End of Service: 16/11/2016
By Police1 Staff
KINGSVILLE, Texas — A police officer was killed Wednesday after his vehicle was struck by a train.
Sgt. Nathan Brandley told the Caller-Times that Officer Ken Starrs, 65, was driving in a pickup truck en route to his office, attempted to cross the railroad tracks and was struck by an oncoming train.
Brandley said the intersection does not have railroad crossing arms.
Starrs stopped at the intersection and looked north for traffic, according to the report. The train’s onboard camera footage was submitted for investigation.
Before he came to work for the Kingsville police, Starrs worked with the Corpus Christi police from 1977 until he retired in 2004, the publication reported.
He retired as a captain and worked with juvenile justice and narcotics, later working with the Port of Corpus Christi police.
“Debbie (Farenthold) and my thoughts and prayers are with those involved in this morning’s train accident in Kingsville,” Rep. Blake Farenthold wrote. “Our law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to our communities and their sacrifices will never be forgotten.”
TX DPS Sgt. Brandley said the crash that killed a law enforcement officer near #Kingsville occured around 7:30 a.m.: https://t.co/yIu4mvzYBz pic.twitter.com/xoM7ziwLWy
— Caller.com (@callerdotcom) November 16, 2016