Louisiana auxiliary deputy, 82, killed working at crash site

Authorities say a Louisiana auxiliary sheriff's deputy has died after his patrol vehicle was hit from behind while working near the scene of an earlier crash

Deputy Killed Traffic Louisiana

An 82-year-old auxiliary sheriff’s deputy died Friday in Louisiana when his parked patrol vehicle was struck from behind by a car as the deputy diverted traffic near the earlier crash of two trucks on an interstate, authorities said.

Caddo Parish auxiliary deputy Lonnie Thacker Sr., 82, was on Interstate 49 diverting traffic from the scene of the Friday morning crash that had closed the stretch of interstate for several hours, KTBS-TV reported.

The northbound inside lane had just re-opened shortly before noon when the second crash occurred. Thacker was seated in his patrol unit when a woman driving a Kia Sorento struck the rear of his patrol vehicle, parish sheriff's spokeswoman Cindy Chadwick told the TV station.

Chadwick said the woman, whose name wasn't immediately released, suffered minor injuries and was checked out at a hospital. A coroner’s statement identified Thacker as the auxiliary deputy killed and said an autopsy was ordered.

The interstate later fully reopened Friday around 3:30 p.m., reports said.

The sheriff’s office said that in 2001 Thacker joined its auxiliary program in which trained volunteers assist the department without pay, according to KTBS. The report said Thacker regularly logged over 500 volunteer hours a year helping with such duties as traffic control, funeral escorts and neighborhood patrols.

The deputy was the second northwest Louisiana law enforcement officer to die on the job within the past two weeks. Webster Parish sheriff’s Sgt. Billy Collins Jr. died July 9 when he was shot while responding to a call at his part-time job as a police officer in the community of Doyline.