# Law enforcement traffic deaths are not a part of doing business



## kwflatbed (Dec 29, 2004)

By Travis Yates, PoliceOne columnist

I pull up the Officer Down Memorial Page almost every day. I do it for myriad, reasons and each time I do it, a flow of emotions goes through my head. The primary reason I do it is to bring myself back to reality.

As I go about my day I suffer from the same things that many of you suffer from. I actually sometimes believe that my worries and concerns are actually a big deal. I think it matters that this officer did this or that politician thinks that. In the reality of things those worries and concerns mean nothing. I may be getting a paycheck to deal with some of those issues but it is awful silly to spend energy on things that mean so little to officers as a whole.

The reality is this: (It is the same reality every week): At least one officer dies in a traffic-related incident-and this week, two officers died. On October 19th, Coahoma County (Mississippi) Deputy Jerry Hudgins died in a vehicle collision while responding to a traffic accident. His car left the roadway and struck a tree. On the same day, Stafford County (Virginia) Deputy Jason Mooney died while responding to another collision. His vehicle hydroplaned and left the roadway. This 24-year-old Marine Corp Veteran survived a tour during the War on Terror but died in a patrol car driving down the road.

Am I the only one that is angry that these heroes will no longer come home to their families because of a traffic collision? Where is the outrage? Where is the commitment to training? It makes me angry and it makes me passionate.

Full Article: http://www.policeone.com/traffic-patrol/articles/1367067/


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