COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina trooper has died three days after he was struck by a box truck while walking back to his cruiser following a traffic stop.
Trooper 1st Class Dennis Ricks died Wednesday at the hospital, the Department of Public Safety said in a news release. The 30-year-old had been working for the Highway Patrol for two years.
Ricks had pulled over a different vehicle around 2 a.m. Sunday on Interstate 26 near Orangeburg and was walking back to his vehicle when a box truck struck him, authorities said.
His cruiser had its blue lights on, the Department of Public Safety said.
The driver of the truck was charged with driving under suspension and at his bond hearing Monday, investigators said more charges were likely depending on what happened with the trooper.
The driver told the judge at the hearing that all that was on his mind was that Ricks would be OK.
Ricks is the first South Carolina trooper to die in the line of duty since 2017.
“Although Trooper Ricks had only been a trooper for two years, he was a beloved member of Troop 7 and the Highway Patrol as a whole,” Highway Patrol Commander Col. Chris Williamson said in a statement. “We ask for continued prayers for his family, his friends, and his fellow troopers as they all navigate this immense loss.”