COLORADO - A Colorado State Patrol trooper was hit and killed on Interstate 25 while investigating a crash Friday afternoon south of Castle Rock.
Trooper Cody Donahue was struck by a passing commercial food truck and pronounced dead at the scene. CSP says he was wearing a reflective vest at the time.
Noe Gamez-Ruiz, 41, was arrested shortly after the accident and charged with careless driving resulting in death and failure to yield the right-of-way to an emergency vehicle.
Gamez-Ruiz was driving a commercial box-truck belonging to U.S. Foods when he struck Trooper Donahue.
“We are saddened to learn about the accident involving one of our trucks. We are fully cooperating with local authorities. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of all involved,” U.S. Foods said in a statement.
Trooper Donahue was a father of two and had been with Colorado State Patrol for 11 years.
“On behalf of our agency, we are deeply saddened by the loss of what we’re experiencing in what has been a very difficult couple of years,” CSP Trooper Josh Lewis said. “Certainly we're pulling together—both blood and blue—in order to try to overcome, try to comfort one another.”
A procession of law enforcement vehicles took Donahue's body from the scene. Along the way, a group of officers stood at attention to pay their respects as the procession passed by.
Northbound I-25 was closed for hours at Tomah Road while crews investigated the crash scene. That stretch of the interstate reopened shortly after 8 p.m.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office is handling the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
A member of Trooper Donahue's family set up a GoFundMe page that is currently accepting donations. Funds may also be made to the Colorado State Patrol Family Foundation, marked for the Donahue family.
