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SEARCHOfficer Justin Scherlen, 39, died Thursday while on a family vacation in New Mexico, Amarillo police said. He died of complications from injuries sustained in a head-on crash in 2015.
Officer Justin Scherlen
Officer Justin Scherlen, 39, died Thursday while on a family vacation in New Mexico, Amarillo police said. He died of complications from injuries sustained in a head-on crash in 2015.
Friends of Scherlen said that "How can I better serve you?" was his mantra. He is survived by his wife and four children. He had worked for the Amarillo (TX) Police Department since 2004, reports the Amarillo Globe-News.
Scherlen was severely injured in a traffic accident in September 2015. He was traveling west on Southwest 34th Avenue near the intersection of South Georgia Street when a Jeep crossed the center lane and collided head-on with Scherlen's vehicle, the Amarillo Globe-News reported at the time.
Amarillo firefighters used the Jaws of Life to free Scherlen from the car, and he was taken to Northwest Texas Hospital with numerous broken bones and traumatic injuries from the crash. He was awarded the law enforcement Purple Heart award the following November for injuries sustained while in performance of his official duties.
Scherlen went through multiple surgeries and physical rehabilitation after the accident.
More than 75 people gathered Sunday evening on the Potter County Courthouse lawn in honor of Officer Scherlen. A funeral service is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Wednesday at Hillside Christian Church in Amarillo, reports the Amarillo Globe-News.
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