A Texas police sergeant and Army veteran killed in the line of duty is being hailed as a hero for preventing even more tragedy.

Sgt. Mark Butler from the Navasota Police Department lost his life in a car crash while chasing a suspect who was being sought for trying to deposit a counterfeit check. This information comes from the Officer Down Memorial Page, an online platform that honors police officers who have died while serving their communities.

The ordeal began just after 3 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15, when the College Station Police Department (CSPD) responded to a forgery in progress at Prosperity Bank. 

Officials said officers made contact with the female suspect, who was attempting to cash a fraudulent check and fled in a black Jeep Wrangler when approached.

Troopers were dispatched with the suspect reported to be traveling in the wrong direction on Highway 6 in Navasota, 24 miles outside College Station.

At 3:30 p.m., officials said Butler, who was traveling north, maneuvered his marked patrol vehicle and collided with the suspect, preventing her from hitting other motorists on the highway.

Officials said Butler was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he died. The wrong-way driver, whose identity has not been released, was pronounced dead at the crash site. 

A Bryan, Texas, family spoke to KBTX and praised Butler for his heroism and credited him with saving the lives of other drivers.

“I don’t believe we would have made it out if it wasn’t for the officer,” Jonathan Crider told KBTX of the harrowing moments before the crash. “He selflessly gave himself up so nobody else would perish.”

Crider told KBTX he and his coworkers were returning to Bryan from a landscaping job in Cypress when they saw a black Jeep Wrangler speeding toward them. At the last moment, Crider said, Butler maneuvered his patrol vehicle into the Jeep’s path, preventing the oncoming car from hitting Crider’s truck and other vehicles around him.

“We changed lanes five seconds before the impact,” Crider said. “He didn’t swerve or brake. He sacrificed himself to save everyone behind us. I truly owe my life to him.”

Officials said the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is leading the investigation into the crash, while the College Station Police Department is assisting with the investigation into the forgery incident. 

“Our thoughts and condolences go out to Sergeant Butler’s family, colleagues, and the entire Navasota community during this incredibly difficult time,” the College Station Police Department wrote in a post on social media.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called the death of Butler “a heartbreaking reminder of the danger our law enforcement officers face every time they leave home for work,” referring to Butler and Brazoria County Sheriff’s Deputy Jesus Vargas, who was shot and killed in the line of duty Wednesday.

“We lost two officers today in the line of duty,” Patrick wrote in a post on X. “Texas law enforcement officers who make the ultimate sacrifice protecting our communities live on in our hearts forever. Please pray tonight for both of these heroes’ families. They have suffered such great loss.”

Republican Texas State Sen. Lois Kolkhorst also shared her condolences in a post on her Facebook page and said it’s “hard to fathom this sudden and reckless loss of life.”

“Our hearts are broken tonight, and I join the entire Navasota community in extending deepest sympathy to the family of Navasota Police Sgt. Mark Butler,” she wrote. “Sgt Butler tragically died in the line of duty late this afternoon when a woman evading arrest drove head-on into his patrol car during a police pursuit.

“Please keep Sgt. Butler’s family, friends, and the Navasota Police Department in your prayers during this time. He died in the line of duty, protecting and serving the public and he will never be forgotten.” 

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Butler was a United States Army veteran and had served with the Navasota Police Department almost four years.