A D.C. police officer has died after he was hit by a car as he helped a driver on I-695 before Christmas, authorities say.
Officer Terry Bennett was born and raised in D.C. and served on the Metropolitan Police Department for almost eight years. He was 32 and is survived by his wife and young son.
The Ballou Senior High School alum mentored students at the school for over a decade as assistant head football coach and defensive coordinator.
“When he got struck, he was just out there doing his job, putting out flares for a traffic crash. It’s an immensely, immensely huge loss to the department,” Interim Chief of Police Jeffery Carroll said.
Bennett “demonstrated a constant commitment to building trust and strengthening relationships between law enforcement and the DC community,” MPD said in a statement.
Law enforcement officers lined D.C. streets on Thursday in an emotional sendoff to Bennett, saluting his body as it was moved from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office.
Bennett was helping a driver whose car broke down in the eastbound lanes of I-695 near South Capitol Street at about 10:10 p.m. Dec. 23. He was hit by a car whose driver was traveling “at a high rate of speed,” police said in a statement.
Members of law enforcement immediately started tending to Bennett, who was rushed to a hospital, police said.
The driver accused of hitting him stayed on the scene and was taken to a hospital for treatment of injuries that were not considered life-threatening, police said.
Police didn’t immediately announce any charges against the driver accused of hitting Bennett.
The driver of the broken-down vehicle wasn’t hurt, police said.
Bennett worked in the police department’s First District. He’s recognized by his peers and the community for his positive impact on countless colleagues and students.
“He’s one of those people who, when you talk to the officers, anything that you needed, he was there with a smile,” Carroll said.
“He was just a kind and friendly person, a good-hearted person who grew up here in the city,” he added.
Mayor Muriel Bowser thanked him for his dedication to D.C. and described him as a “valued member” of MPD.
The crash remains under investigation by MPD’s Major Crash Investigations Unit. Bennett is the 127th officer to die in the line of duty for D.C. police.
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