Childress, Texas: A Texas DPS trooper killed in the line of duty has left his agency and community in mourning after a crash during a traffic stop attempt this week. Trooper Sergio Romero, 27, died Wednesday afternoon when a tractor-trailer pulled into his patrol unit’s path along U.S. Highway 287 near Childress.
According to a statement from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Romero was attempting to conduct a traffic stop along US 287 near Childress at approximately 4 p.m. on June 17 when a truck tractor semi-trailer pulled out in front of him. The collision caused Romero’s patrol unit to crash into the semi. DPS said Romero died at the scene. The crash remains under investigation, and officials have not released further details regarding the driver of the semi-truck or whether charges are expected.
Childress sits in the southeastern part of the Texas Panhandle along Highway 287, roughly 115 miles southeast of Amarillo.
Romero was a member of DPS Highway Patrol Recruit Class B 2025 and had only recently joined the agency before being stationed in Childress. Prior to his time with DPS, Romero served with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, according to the department statement.
DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin addressed Romero’s death directly in a statement released by the agency. Martin said the department grieves the loss of one of its own and praised Romero for serving the people of his community and the state of Texas with courage, integrity, and selfless devotion. Martin added that the department’s heart breaks alongside Romero’s family, friends, fellow troopers, and all who loved him, and said the agency will never forget the sacrifice he made in service of his fellow Texans.
Romero is survived by his wife, Francisca, and their two young sons.
Romero is the 244th department officer to die in the line of duty since the agency began tracking such losses in 1823, underscoring how the danger of traffic enforcement has remained a constant threat across two centuries of Texas law enforcement history.
