Trooper Robert Perez, Jr.

Robert Perez, Jr.

Trooper Robert Perez died three days after his cruiser was struck from behind while he was writing a traffic citation on the Ohio Turnpike near Milan, Ohio, at 2:15 a.m.

Trooper Perez and the vehicle he had stopped were in an emergency pull-off when a minivan struck his cruiser, pushing it into the original stopped vehicle. Trooper Perez was transported to Cleveland Metro Hospital, where he died.

The suspect who struck his cruiser attempted to flag down passing motorists before he sat down on the highway and was struck and killed by another vehicle. It was determined months later that the driver was high on amphetamines.

Trooper Perez had served with the Ohio State Highway Patrol for one year and previously served with the Lorain Police Department. He was survived by his mother, father, brother, sister, and grandparents.