A firefighter and a police officer were killed while working a wreck in Lubbock. A second firefighter was critically injured.
First responders were working an accident scene on Interstate 27 when a car heading southbound crossed the median and ended up about 50 yards from the first scene. Then a third vehicle crossed the median and slammed into two firefighters and a police officer.
Fire Chief Floyd Mitchell said it is a tragic day in Lubbock. During a news conference, Mitchell said, "Lubbock has lost some heroes."
The victims who died have been identified as 27-year-old police officer Nicholas Reyna and 39-year-old Fire Lt. and paramedic Eric Hill. The injured firefighter, 30-year-old Matt Dawson, is hospitalized in critical condition.
The Lubbock Police Department issued the following statement, "Today our hearts mourn for the losses and critical injuries experienced by our Lubbock First Responder Family. 27-year-old Officer Nicholas Reyna served with the Lubbock Police Department for one year. Following the academy, he served on patrol during the day shift. 39-year-old Lieutenant/Paramedic Eric Hill served with Lubbock Fire Rescue for ten years. Eric had promoted to lieutenant in July 2019 and was stationed at Fire Station 10B. The injured firefighter who remains in critical condition is 30-year-old Firefighter/Paramedic Matt Dawson. He has been with the department for five years. Matt Dawson is stationed at Fire Station 2A. It is not possible to express the hurt we all feel from the death our own officer, and the death and injuries to our firefighter brothers, and the grief of their families and friends."