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American Hero: Texas Deputy, Army Veteran Struck by Vehicle While Investigating Minor Accident
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A Texas deputy died this week after he was struck by a passing truck while he was assisting with a minor traffic accident.

John Hampton Coddou, who served with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years after retiring from the US Army, was lifeflighted to Memorial Herman hospital, where he died from his injuries.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez said Coddou, 50, wasn’t assigned to the crash but had stopped to assist, KRIV reported.

“He put himself in harms way to protect our community, like he always did,” said Gonzalez, adding that Coddou could have decided to drive on by when he saw the crash.

“But that wasn’t who John was. By all accounts, he was a public servant through and through,” Gonzalez said, according to KPRC.

The sheriff’s office said Coddou joined the agency in 2003 as a corrections officer and was promoted to deputy two years later. Most recently, he served as an investigator for the violent crimes unit.

Coddou served in the Army for 10 years prior to his retirement, according to Roy Crush, CEO of Texas Boys Outdoors, a non-profit that joins veterans and boys for outdoor activities. Coddou was a volunteer.

He was a military police correctional specialist stationed at the US Disciplinary Barracks in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, Crush said.

“Pretty much his entire adult life he spend protecting people and his community, his country, that takes a special individual,” he said.

Coddou is survived by his wife and mother, the sheriff’s office said.

The sheriff’s office said the driver of the truck that hit Coddou remained on scene and cooperated with investigators. It’s not known if charges will be filed.

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[Featured image: John Coddou/Harris County Sheriff’s Office]