Off-Duty Officer Kills 22-Year-Old Worker on I-635 Near Dallas

A 22-year-old construction worker and father of a 3-month-old boy died after he was struck by an off-duty police officer while working in a freeway construction zone in Mesquite last month, authorities said.

The crash happened around 11:30 p.m. on June 23 on Interstate 635 near U.S. Highway 80.

According to Mesquite police, a construction crew was moving a crane from the east side of the interstate to the west side when the incident occurred.

At the same time, an off-duty officer with the Southwestern Christian College Police Department was driving southbound on I-635 to prepare for an upcoming road closure related to the work operation.

Police said the officer struck construction worker Edwin Valdez, who was directing the crane across the freeway.

Emergency crews transported Valdez to a nearby hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

Mesquite police continue to investigate the crash but said that after consulting with the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, criminal charges are not expected in the case.

Authorities have not released additional details about the circumstances surrounding the collision, including vehicle speed, visibility conditions, or whether any traffic control measures were in place at the time.

The decision not to pursue criminal charges has frustrated Valdez's family.

His girlfriend and the mother of his infant son said she believes the officer should be held accountable and questioned whether the outcome would have been different if the driver had not been a law enforcement officer.

She said the family continues to seek justice for Valdez, who was supporting his young family while working construction.

Work zone fatalities remain a significant safety concern across Texas, where highway construction projects frequently place workers in proximity to moving traffic and construction vehicles.

The investigation remains ongoing, although police have indicated that they do not anticipate any criminal charges based on the evidence reviewed so far.