Last week Deputy Michael Smith tragically lost his life in what has come to be an unfortunately common scenario in West Texas. Deputy Smith, Upton County Sheriff's Office (Rankin, Texas) was responding to a tank battery fire and was traveling on Texas Hwy 349 toward the reported fire, when an oil field truck of one kind or another crossed the center line and struck the officer's car head-on, killing Deputy Smith.
In the past several months as the oil boom has really mushroomed in West Texas, drivers for the various oil companies have adopted, literally, a "get there NOW or not at all" policy. The oil companies all have rules stating their employees must drive safely, not exceed the speed limit, etc. The reality is that the companies expect their employees to travel long distances, complete jobs, then travel long distances to the next job. Deliveries are expected "on time." The supervisors do not accept "I was late because I was driving the speed limit" as an excuse when oil, chemicals, machinery parts, and field hands are "late." Not surprisingly, the oil workers will do whatever it takes to "get there on time." Deputy Smith is the latest in a long line of victims of this de facto oil patch philosophy. Not only law enforcement officers, but everyone using the highway, are endangered by this uncaring and depravingly negligent policy.
Deputy Smith lost his life in a senseless and needless traffic accident. The citizens of Upton County were robbed of a dedicated public servant. And Michael's wife and four children were deprived of a loving husband and father. I am proud to honor Deputy Michael Smith, Upton County Sheriff's Office, here on the pages of this blog, and I am deeply grateful for his service to the citizens of Upton County and Texas. My sympathy to his family, and to his fellow officers for their great loss.
In the past several months as the oil boom has really mushroomed in West Texas, drivers for the various oil companies have adopted, literally, a "get there NOW or not at all" policy. The oil companies all have rules stating their employees must drive safely, not exceed the speed limit, etc. The reality is that the companies expect their employees to travel long distances, complete jobs, then travel long distances to the next job. Deliveries are expected "on time." The supervisors do not accept "I was late because I was driving the speed limit" as an excuse when oil, chemicals, machinery parts, and field hands are "late." Not surprisingly, the oil workers will do whatever it takes to "get there on time." Deputy Smith is the latest in a long line of victims of this de facto oil patch philosophy. Not only law enforcement officers, but everyone using the highway, are endangered by this uncaring and depravingly negligent policy.
Deputy Smith lost his life in a senseless and needless traffic accident. The citizens of Upton County were robbed of a dedicated public servant. And Michael's wife and four children were deprived of a loving husband and father. I am proud to honor Deputy Michael Smith, Upton County Sheriff's Office, here on the pages of this blog, and I am deeply grateful for his service to the citizens of Upton County and Texas. My sympathy to his family, and to his fellow officers for their great loss.
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