A trooper with the Nebraska State Patrol has died in the line of duty, the victim of a traffic accident.
The State Patrol says 51-year-old Trooper Jerry L. Smith was on duty Thursday morning and driving on Highway 26, in Morrill County when another vehicle crossed the center line and struck his patrol unit head-on.
Trooper Smith was pronounced dead at the scene.
The driver of the other vehicle was ejected and was also pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of a third vehicle that was involved in the crash was not seriously injured.
Trooper Smith, of Scottsbluff, joined the Nebraska State Patrol in 2014, graduating at the age of 47, he is believed to be the oldest recruit to ever complete the patrol’s Basic Recruit Camp.
Smith is survived by his wife and two adult children.
