By Kristin Edwards
Huntsville Item
TRINITY COUNTY, Texas — Trinity County Sheriff Brent Lee was killed Thursday morning when his patrol car left Farm-to-Market Road 3453 and crashed during the pursuit of a possible suspect.
According to information released by the Texas Department of Public Safety, the 58-year-old Lee was ejected from his 2006 Ford Crown Victoria when the vehicle swerved off the road and hit a utility pole and a tree at approximately 4:20 a.m.
Lee was pronounced dead at the scene at 5 a.m.
“Lee was responding to a sighting of a suspect when his vehicle left the roadway to the right in a left-hand curve,” said Jesse Graves, a communications operator at the Lufkin DPS office. “His vehicle struck a power pole and a large pine tree and came to rest.
“Lee was ejected from the vehicle, after which his vehicle became completely engulfed in flames.”
Graves also indicated that Lee was driving without wearing a seatbelt, and that wet and foggy conditions may have contributed to the accident.
“The accident is still under investigation, and officers are currently doing an accident reconstruction,” Graves said.
According to a representative from the Trinity County Sheriff’s Department, funeral services for Lee have been tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 1 p.m. at the Cartwright Funeral Home.
According to information released on the Officer Down Memorial Page Inc., Lee had been appointed in June to fill an unexpired sheriff’s term, and he had also won the recent election for sheriff.
Copyright 2008 Huntsville Item