Services set for Dubach officer killed in line of duty

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at Rock Corner Baptist Church in Dubach for Dubach police Officer Russell Croxton.

Croxton, 51, died Saturday in the line of duty after being hit by a semi-truck on U. S. 167 just south of Hamilton Road.

The truck driver has been charged with violating Louisiana’s “Move Over” law, Louisiana State Police said Monday. The Move Over law outlines the procedure to be used when approaching and passing a stopped emergency vehicle.

Croxton’s death came almost 46 years after his father, Ruston City Police Sgt. Ray Croxton, died in the line of duty when his patrol car flipped during a pursuit.

Russell Croxton was only an hour away from completing his shift Saturday when he was hit, Dubach Mayor Mona Wilson said.

The Dubach Town Hall will close at noon for the remainder of the day in honor of Croxton, Wilson said.

Croxton served as Dubach’s police chief for 11 years, from 2007 to 2018, before serving a five-year stint with the Louisiana Tech University Police Department. He was rehired at Dubach in March and had been on the job less than two weeks at the time of this death.

“He was so excited about being back in Dubach,” Wilson said.

According to Louisiana State Police, Croxton had exited his cruiser after pulling over a 2014 Ford Explorer just before 1 p.m. While Croxton was standing next to the stopped vehicle, a semi-truck struck the rear of his cruiser before hitting Croxton and the other vehicle.

Croxton’s vehicle, a fully marked 2020 Chevrolet Silverado police vehicle, was stopped behind the Ford in the right northbound lane of U.S. 167 with its emergency lights activated.

At the same time, a 2022 Peterbilt semi- truck, driven by 61- year- old Michael Sutterfield of Russellville, Arkansas, was traveling north on U.S. 167 in the right lane, and failed to yield for the stopped police vehicle.

As a result, the semi-truck hit the rear of Croxton’s vehicle, causing it to rotate to the right, then continued to hit Croxton before striking the Ford with its driver seat belted inside.

Wilson said the driver of the Ford was reportedly on his way to a concert in Arkansas when Croxton stopped him supposedly for speeding.

Croxton opted not to ticket the driver, who is from Ruston, only warn him, Wilson said.

“He cracked a few jokes and told him to go on to his concert and be safe,” she said.

Croxton was transported to Northern Louisiana Medical Center where he later died. This crash remains under investigation.

Croxton is survived by his widow, Jennifer Rowland Croxton, two daughters, two grandchildren, his mother, grandmother, two sisters and other family members.