An off-duty officer with the Austin Police Department (APD) perished in a motorcycle crash in Liberty Hill on Friday, Austin-based media outlets reported.
APD identified the officer as Anthony “Tony” Martin, Austin CBS affiliate KEYE reported.
Martin had just finished the night shift when on his way home, he got into the crash in question at the intersection of State Highway (SH) 29 and Ranch to Market Road (RM) 1869 that took his life at around 6 a.m.
According to KEYE, motorists at the scene stopped and shielded him out of respect.
“The motorcycle was crashed right here,” small business owner Rani Collins recalled to the station. “The officer’s body was over there. They protected his body with their cars to respect him.”
Authorities subsequently diverted traffic around the accident site.
Austin ABC affiliate KVUE reported that the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) was still investigating the crash three hours after it occurred.
Per KVUE, another Austin officer was involved in a crash elsewhere in the Hill Country on Friday but only suffered minor injuries.
Former Republican Texas House of Representatives aspirant Justin Berry tweeted out a Venmo QR code on behalf of Austin Cops for Charities for the public to scan to make donations for the late officer’s family.
Martin had served more than 16 years with APD at the time of his death, KVUE reported.