Police: 23-Year-Old Texas Officer Killed In Crash Caused By Wrong-Way Driver
BEAUMONT, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - A 23-year-old Texas officer was killed early Sunday in a crash caused by a driver going the wrong way, police said.
Beaumont Police Chief James Singletary said two of the department's officers were going northbound on Cardinal Drive near Highway 347 at around 2:30 a.m. when their vehicle was hit head-on by a Ford Mustang going southbound.
Officer Sheena Yarbrough-Powell died from her injuries, while her partner was treated for "severe" injuries at a hospital. The surviving officer faces a "long road to recovery" after being released from the hospital, Singletary said.
The chief said Yarbrough-Powell was sworn in as a Beaumont officer in December 2018 and had just gotten married 10 months ago.
"The next few days, weeks, months and years will be difficult for Sheena's family, both blood and blue but we will get through this together with the help of our community," Singletary said.
"Also, I want to ask our community to not only keep Sheena's family and the police department in your prayers but Beaumont EMS and Fire Department. Police, Fire and EMS go hand-in-hand. We are all first responders and our paths cross multiple times throughout our respective shifts. So this loss is hard for them too," he added.
Police said the driver of the Mustang was taken to the hospital, but their condition is not known.
