LAKELAND, Fla. — A Lakeland police officer was killed Thursday morning in a crash on Lakeland Highlands Road.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Officer Paul Dunn, 50, was on his way to work on his work motorcycle when for unknown reasons, Dunn left the road and hit the concrete median between the north and southbound lanes.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said the wife of a deputy, Madeline Sinclair, crested the hill on Lakeland Highlands Road and saw lights in the road. As she got closer, she saw it was a police officer.
A nurse who was driving by, Laura Lewis, stopped to assist. Lewis told deputies that Dunn had a slight pulse and she performed CPR until rescue crews arrived.
Dunn was taken to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The Lakeland Police Department shared a Facebook post on Thursday morning, saying Dunn was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and was married with two sons in the armed forces and a daughter. Dunn's wife is also a detective with the Lakeland Police Department.
"Please keep Officer Dunn's family and all those who loved him in your thoughts and prayers as we are grieving this huge loss to our agency and our community," the department wrote.
St. Pete police officers expressed their condolences to Lakeland Officer Dunn's family and colleagues.
"...please know we are saddened by the loss of Motor Officer Paul Dann & are praying for you during this difficult time," the St. Pete Police Twitter account wrote Thursday morning.
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