Officer Mark Simmons succumbed to injuries sustained three years earlier when his patrol car was struck from behind by a pickup truck.
He and his partner were attempting to seal off a roadway in preparation for a pursuit being conducted in a residential area near their location. As they closed off the roadway, their patrol car was struck from behind by a pickup truck.
Officer Simmons, who was in the patrol car's passenger seat, suffered severe brain injuries and remained in three hospitals at separate intervals for three years before being brought home in July 2008. His partner and the driver of the vehicle that hit him suffered minor injuries.
Officer Simmons had served with the Amarillo Police Department for 5 years at the time of the accident and had previously served with the Randall County Sheriff's Department for 1 year. He is survived by his two children and parents.
