- The unnamed officer, a 30-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, perished Sunday when his patrol car san in the floodwaters
- Official said the cop took a wrong turn on his way to work and then could not escape from his vehicle
- Search and rescue crews were still working Tuesday to try and recover officer’s body
- As of Friday, 15 people in Texas have perished in the storm and its aftermath
A veteran Houston police officer has perished in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey when his patrol car sank in the floodwaters Sunday.
The cop, who had served on the force for more than 30 years, was driving to work in downtown Houston when he found himself trapped in torrents of water at Interstate 45 and the Hardy Toll Road.
As of Tuesday afternoon, search and rescue crews were still trying to recover the officer’s body.
Deadly disaster: A veteran Houston police officer has perished in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey when his patrol car sank in the floodwaters Sunday
The cop (not pictured), who had served on the force for more than 30 years, was driving to work in downtown Houston when he found himself trapped in torrents of water
The officer lost his life at Interstate 45 and the Hardy Toll Road (pictured) in Houston
His name was being withheld pending the formal notification of next of kin.
The officer’s death has been confirmed to the Houston Chronicle by three officials with the Houston Police Department.
‘He was trying different routes and took a wrong turn,’ one high-ranking official told the paper on condition of anonymity.
Having found himself stranded in the deluge, the long-time cop made an attempt to escape his patrol vehicle but was unable to get out.
So far, 15 people have lost their lives in Texas as a result of Harvey, which made landfall near Corpus Christi on Friday night as a Category 4 hurricane.
The storm has inundated the state with a record 49 inches of rain, causing catastrophic flooding.
So far, 15 people have lost their lives in Texas as a result of Harvey. The photo above shows Houston Police SWAT officer Daryl Hudeck carries Catherine Pham and her 13-month-old son Aiden after rescuing them from their home
Highways around downtown Houston are empty as floodwaters from Tropical Storm Harvey overflow from the bayous around the city Tuesday