DALLAS — A Dallas police officer was struck and killed by a suspected impaired driver early Saturday morning while directing traffic at a collision on the highway.

At around 1:45 a.m., the Dallas officer was blocking traffic with the emergency lights from his squad car on after an accident in the northbound lanes of North Central Expressway at Walnut Hill Lane.

A man driving a Kia Forte at a high speed hit the officer as he was standing outside of his patrol unit to direct traffic from a previous crash.

The officer was taken to a local hospital, where he later died. His identity has not been released, NBCDFW reported.

“It is with a heavy heart that I announce that this morning at approximately 0125 [1:25 a.m.] a @DallasPD officer, working an accident scene, was struck and killed by a DWI driver,” Chief Eddie Garcia tweeted. “Our department is once again mourning, but we are heartened by the strength of his family. Godspeed my brother.”

“Our department is once again mourning, but we are heartened by the strength of his family,” Garcia said in a another Tweet. “Godspeed my brother.”

Neither the driver nor his passenger were injured, police said.

Police said slick and icy roads were not a factor in the crash.

The driver, described as a 32-year-old black male, did not sustain any injuries and is awaiting charges by police.

Meanwhile, officials are questioning a female passenger in his vehicle. She was also uninjured in the collision.

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