“Lonnie Thacker was a dedicated member of the Caddo Sheriff’s Office and we are saddened by this loss,” Sheriff Steve Prator said in a Facebook post.
“Thacker joined the Sheriff’s Auxiliary Program in May of 2001. The program enlists trained volunteers to assist in the Patrol Division and other areas of the department. They receive no pay for their service. Thacker regularly logged over 500 volunteer hours a year helping patrol deputies with duties such as traffic control, funeral escorts, and neighborhood patrols. He was passionate about litter abatement and keeping the parish clean, according to his supervisors, and he assisted at many CPSO youth programs, including the Youth Firearms Safety Education Camp, Crime Scene Investigations (CSI) Camp, and Sheriff’s Safety Town.
‘He was one of those all-around guys who if you asked him to do something he would do it, but he preferred being in a patrol car,’ said Sgt. John Hay, who supervises the Auxiliary Program.
Louisiana State Police’s investigation found that Thacker was sitting in a parked, fully marked CPSO 2010 Chevrolet Impala that was positioned in the right lane with emergency lights activated, for additional visibility and for traffic control.
At the same time, a 2021 Kia Seltos, driven by Madison Campbell, 21, of Ida, was traveling on I-49 northbound, approaching the lane closure. Campbell failed to observe the marked unit, which was blocking the lane, and struck the rear of the CPSO unit, causing both vehicles to exit the roadway.
The crash remains under investigation.