Round Rock Officer Hit By Vehicle While Directing Traffic On I-35

ROUND ROCK, TX — A Round Rock police officer was hit by a vehicle while directing traffic around a crash on Interstate 35, city officials confirmed.

According to a police advisory, police received a welfare call just before 5:30 a.m. related to a pedestrian walking near I-35. By the time officers arrived at the scene, a deceased person was found on the highway near Old Settlers Boulevard, prompting the closure of that portion of the highway to accommodate an investigation.

At around 6:40 a.m., a Round Rock Police officer was struck by a car on the highway near Palm Valley Boulevard, while directing traffic around the scene, police said. The injured officer was transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries deemed serious.

The 65-year-old driver whose vehicle struck the officer was detained as part of the investigation, police said. The name and condition of the officer involved have not been disclosed. In an afternoon update, police described the injured officer as an 18-year veteran of the local police force.

Police asked anyone with information about the incident to call them at 512-218-5515.

The incident preceded another case during which two other Round Rock officers were sent to the hospital. At around 10 a.m., lightning struck near an area where two police officers and a support technician were standing as they investigated other traffic collisions, police said in an email to Patch. The incident occurred not far from where the officer was hit in the earlier incident.

The victims of the lightning strike were transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure before being released, a police spokesman said. Patch will update as more information is made available.

>>> Tony Cantú contributed to this report

Photo credit: Renee Schiavone, Patch