LUBBOCK, Texas – The Lubbock Police Department and Lubbock Fire Rescue asked the community to join them in remembering fallen first responders Officer Nicholas Lee Reyna and Lieutenant/Paramedic Eric Hill, who died three years ago Wednesday while on duty.
Officer Reyna and Lieutenant Hill, along with firefighter Matt Dawson, were responding to a crash in north Lubbock on January 11, 2020, when a pickup truck crossed over the median of Interstate 27 and struck the three first responders.
Officer Reyna, 27, who had only served with LPD for one year, died at the scene. Lieutenant Hill, 39, died later at University Medical Center from his injuries. Matt Dawson suffered a traumatic brain injury along with multiple broken bones from the incident. LFR said Wednesday in a social media post that Dawson was “doing great on his road to recovery.”
The tragedy prompted the 5-5-5 Initiative, a movement founded by Lt. Hill’s parents designed to encourage people to stay safe and to keep our first responders safe. The movement reminded people to consider five options to plan for safety, consider five actions to keep safe, and to contact five loved ones a day.
The 5-5-5 Initiative invited the community to join them in honoring the fallen heroes in a social media post by asking everyone to turn the city red and blue by turning “porch lights red, blue or both… through January 11.”
The Lubbock Police Department remembered Officer Nicholas Reyna in a social media post Wednesday stating, “Today we are keeping Nick’s contagious smile and optimism at the forefront of our thoughts, and we hope you will join us in that memory.”
The Lubbock Professional Firefighters Association remembered Lt. Eric Hill in another social media post, stating in part, “He was a cowboy, a good leader and brother firefighter, but he was also a loving father, a beloved son and a damn good man.”
Donations can be made to the 5-5-5 Initiative at 555safety.com.
