The Dallas City Council on February 11 approved the receipt of a donation from QuikTrip to fund the purchase of four new blocker trucks for the Dallas Police Department, expanding safety protections for first responders working on freeways and major roadways.
The new Ford F550 units will be deployed to block traffic at crash scenes and other incidents where officers and emergency personnel are operating in the roadway. Each truck is equipped with an LED arrow board and a rear-mounted crash attenuator designed to absorb the impact of a collision, shielding responders at the scene.
Blocker trucks were first introduced by the department in 2023 following the death of Officer Mitchell Penton, who was struck and killed while working a freeway crash in 2021. Prior to the program, officers relied on patrol cars or fire apparatus to divert traffic, tying up those resources and risking significant damage if struck.
Since their rollout, blocker trucks have been deployed to more than 1,200 incidents and have absorbed the impact of five crashes over the past two years, preventing injuries to first responders and the public. With the addition of the four new units, each patrol division that includes a freeway in its service area will have access to a blocker truck.
Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert thanked QuikTrip for the donation, noting the company’s continued support of public safety efforts. In addition to the blocker trucks, QuikTrip previously funded construction of a Reality Based Training Village at the Dallas Police Academy and donated more than $200,000 to Assist The Officer, a nonprofit that provides financial assistance and counseling to officers and their families.
Police Chief Daniel C. Comeaux urged drivers to slow down and move over when approaching emergency scenes. Texas law requires motorists to leave an empty lane or reduce speed when passing emergency vehicles with lights activated. Violations can result in fines of up to $1,250 for a first offense.
