A D.C. police officer who was hit by a vehicle on Interstate 695 in late December succumbed to his injuries and died Thursday, officials said.
Officer Terry Bennett, 32, was on duty on the evening of Dec. 23 when he got out of his cruiser to help someone whose car had broken down on the highway, authorities said.
A vehicle traveling at high speed hit the officer while he was on foot, according to the department. The crash occurred about 10:10 p.m. in the eastbound lanes of the freeway near South Capitol Street. The driver of the vehicle that had broken down was not injured.
Bennett is the 12th D.C. police officer to die in the line of duty since 2004, according to D.C. police records. The last person was Wayne David, 51, who was killed in August 2024 by a gun that went off as he attempted to retrieve it from a storm drain.
The driver who hit Bennett remained on the scene and was transported to a hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, police said. There is no public record of charges being filed.
The incident involving Bennett was one of two recent cases in the D.C. area involving police officers on foot who were hit by a vehicle. On Dec. 27, a U.S. Park Police officer checking a disabled vehicle on the Baltimore Washington Parkway was hit by a motorist who was subsequently arrested for driving under the influence. The officer was treated at a hospital and released that day.
An off-duty Baltimore police officer was killed Dec. 20 in a multivehicle crash after colliding with another vehicle, according to state officials.
Dana Hedgpeth contributed to this report.
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