Lubbock Sergeant Presented Purple Heart in Austin

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On Thursday, February 11th, the Texas Public Safety Commission presented a Purple Heart to a Lubbock Sergeant and 8 Lifesaving Awards to other members of the Texas Highway Patrol.

Sergeant Jerrod Burtnett of Lubbock received a Purple Heart for his actions back on December 27th, 2019.

Burtnett, who was a Trooper back then, had finished checking on a bystander along the side of the road while he was investigating a series of crashes. These crashes were caused due to zero visibility fog.

Just then, a tractor-trailer lost control and struck another vehicle. It then went into a ditch, hitting more vehicles as well as Burtnett. He suffered serious injuries.

Burtnett has gone through a number of surgeries and continues to improve to this day. He was presented a Purple Heart in recognition of his courageous service and personal sacrifice.

The other 8 Texas Highway Patrol members who received Lifesaving Awards were:

• Jeremy Amis, Waco
• Chad Brooks, Pampa
• Roy Haley, McKinney
• Samuel Perez, Mission
• William Robbins, Greenville
• Cody Sagnibene, Greenville
• (Jonathan) Daniel Britton, Queen City
• Wayne Johnson, Linden

Texas DPS Director Steven McCraw said:

The Texas Highway Patrol has highly-trained, outstanding men and women who embody the DPS motto of courtesy, service, protection, while doing extraordinary things on a daily basis [...] I’m proud to recognize the DPS Troopers today who selflessly went into dangerous situations in order to serve people throughout Texas, saving lives in the process. It’s a privilege to recognize them for their heroic actions.