Officer Andrew Esparza, Irving, Texas

**TXCharlie** · 04-15-07, 10:54 PM

This happened either during or right after a terrible storm that came through here Friday night... A lot of damage, and my Police Academy class was evacuated to the college's storm shelter. It looked like a hurricane. RIP

http://www.nbc5i.com/news/11888159/detail.html

Crash Takes Irving Officer's Life
Officer Was With Force Two Years

POSTED: 10:44 pm CDT April 13, 2007
UPDATED: 12:44 pm CDT April 14, 2007

IRVING, Texas -- An Irving police officer responding to an accident call was fatally injured Friday night when his cruiser slid off Highway 183 in the rain, police said.

Officer Andrew Esparza, 26, was with the Irving police force for two years. Police said his cruiser struck a light pole after sliding off the highway near the Carl Road exit at about 9 p.m. Witnesses said they saw the wreck and called 911, according to police.

Irving Police Chief Larry Boyd said the hearts of those on the police force are heavy after losing "one of our best and brightest stars."

Boyd called Esparza a compassionate officer who loved his job.

"He was a great cop, but more than that he was a great son, great brother and a true Christian," the chief said at a news conference Saturday morning. "He was only 26 years old, but if you listened to his fellow officers talk, you'd understand he had an expertise that went far beyond his years of experience."