Today, Officer John Wheeler, San Antonio Police Department, went 10-7, End of watch. A communities and nations prayers are with the Wheeler family.
I never dreamed it would be me,
my name for all eternity
Recorded here at this hallowed place,
alas my name, no more my face
"In the line of Duty" I hear them say,
my family now the price to pay
My folded flag stained with their tears,
we only had those few short years
The badge no longer on my chest,
I sleep now in eternal rest
My sword I pass to those behind,
and pray they keep this thought in mind
I never dreamed it would be me,
and on my heavy heart and bended knee
I ask for all those here from the past,
Dear God, let my name be the last
OFFICER INVOLVED TRAFFIC FATALITY
A preliminary investigation pertaining to an officer involved fatal accident reveals
the following: On October 14, 2005, at approximately 1:52am, Officer John
Wheeler, a 12-year SAPD veteran, was conducting traffic enforcement on S/B Loop
410 over Culebra Rd. Officer Wheeler had his marked patrol car parked on the
inside shoulder when he was struck in the rear by a S/B 1994 Chevrolet Caprice.
The impact dragged Officer Wheeler’s patrol approximately 200 feet. Officer
Wheeler’s patrol car, and the car that struck him, ignited with fire that engulfed
both cars. Responding emergency personnel were unable to get both Officer
Wheeler and the other driver out of their respective cars and they both died at the scene.
Witnesses report that the Chevrolet Caprice was traveling approximately 90-100
MPH at the time of impact. The identity of the Chevrolet Caprice driver has not been determined.
Officer Wheeler is survived by his wife, who is a SAPD police dispatcher, and two daughters. Officer Wheeler was assigned to the West Police Substation and worked the overnight (dogwatch shift). Funeral arrangements are pending and once
finalized will be announced via a media advisory.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Office of the Chief of Police
Texas Officer Who Survived AK-47 Attack Killed On Traffic Patrol
ABE LEVY
Associated Press Writer
SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- A police officer who survived an attack by men with assault rifles two years ago was killed Friday morning when a speeding car slammed into the back of his parked police cruiser during a traffic patrol, engulfing both vehicles in flames.
San Antonio Officer John Wheeler, a 12-year veteran, sent a distress signal picked up by his wife, emergency dispatcher Kim Wheeler. She was also the dispatcher who took the call when Wheeler was shot in the neck and shoulder by men with AK-47s as they fled a store robbery in 2003.
Witnesses said the Chevrolet Caprice was going more than 90 mph when it hit the cruiser, said Sgt. Gabe Trevino, a department spokesman. The driver of the other car also was killed.
Wheeler, 41, is survived by his wife and two daughters.
The patrol car was one of about 600 Ford Crown Victorias used by the San Antonio Police Department's nearly 2,200-member force. Most U.S. police vehicles are Crown Victorias, which have been criticized for being vulnerable to deadly fuel tank explosions involving police cars.
An investigation into Friday's fatal wreck is under way, but nothing so far indicates the cause of this crash is related to the manufacturer, Trevino said.
''Any vehicle struck at that speed from the rear could have the same kind of performance,'' Trevino said. ''We've had other cars in rear-end collisions. We monitor it, but nothing has given us a reason to believe these cars are unsafe.''
Since 1983, at least 15 officers nationwide have died in fiery crashes after Crown Victorias were rear-ended.While such cases prompted class-action lawsuits in at least 12 states, Ford has said that dozens of Crown Victorias are struck from behind each year with no fires.
The company recommended fitting patrol cars with gas tank shields and distributed them free of charge to police departments since 2002. Ford said those steps are effective in preventing fuel-tank punctures on a car that it says meets government safety standards.
The San Antonio Police Department switched to the Crown Victoria model in 1996, said Trevino. The department has made modifications recommended by Ford in recent years, he said.
Oh, His Nick Name!
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