PICTURED: Three members of Thin Blue Line Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club are killed and nine others are critically injured by drunk driver who slammed into their convoy in Texas
- The three victims have been identified as 79-year-old Jerry Wayne Harbour from Houston, Michael White from Chicago and Joseph Paglia from Chicago
- Group was on a ride celebrating their birthday on Highway 16 in Kerrville, Texas
- A motorist crossed the center divide and slammed into them
- The driver was charged with intoxicated manslaughter and intoxicated assault
- Group is made up of active and former law enforcement officers
Published: | Updated:
Three members of the Thin Blue Line Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club have been killed and nine others have been injured after a suspected drunk driver crashed into their convoy.
The group was celebrating the club’s birthday with a ride on Highway 16 in Kerrville, Texas, when the motorist crossed the center divide and slammed into them.
The three victims have been identified as 79-year-old Jerry Wayne Harbour from Houston, Michael White from Chicago and Joseph Paglia from Chicago.
The club is made up of active and former law enforcement officers.
Jerry Wayne Harbour from Houston, Thin Blue Line National Ambassador, and retired Lt. Col. in the Army as well as being a former pilot for Eastern Airlines
Michael White, the Secretary of Chicago chapter was a retired Chicago Community Services Officer, in the U.S. Army and was also struck and killed by the car
Joseph Paglia, President of the Chicago chapter and a retired officer with the Niles City Police Department, near South Bend, Michigan, was also killed
The driver was identified by officials as Ivan Robles Navejas. The sheriff said he is charged with DWI, multiple counts of intoxication manslaughter and intoxicated assault
Paglia was President of the Chicago chapter and a retired officer with the Niles City Police Dept.
Harbour was a retired Army Lt. Col. and former pilot for Eastern Airlines.
White was the secretary of the Chicago chapter and was a Chicago Community Services Officer in the U.S. Army
The driver was identified as Ivan Robles Navejas and was taken into custody and charged with intoxicated manslaughter and intoxicated assault, News 4 San Antonio reported.
Kerr County Sheriff’s Office is reporting nine more riders are in critical condition.
The sheriff’s office released a statement saying: ‘Please keep our brothers with the Thin Blue Line Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club in ya’lls prayers. ‘
Kerr County Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer said the motorcycle riders were in a group along Highway 16 between Kerrville and Medina just after 5pm when the driver crossed lanes and ran into the group.
Three members of the Thin Blue Line Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club have been killed and nine others have been injured after a drunk driver crashed into their convoy (stock picture)
The group was reportedly celebrating the club’s birthday when the accident occurred
David Weed, the Public Information Officer with the Thin Blue Line released this statement:
‘It is with great sadness we announce the deaths of three of our members this afternoon, Saturday, July 18, 2020.Thin Blue Line Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club was in Bandera, Texas for the weekend conducting our annual Thin Blue Line Foundation meeting, which was to have taken place Saturday afternoon.
‘Several of our members had gone on a leisurely motorcycle ride to have lunch in Kerrville this morning before the meeting. They were heading back to Bandera when a car traveling from Medina toward Kerrville crossed over the center line and stuck several of the motorcycles head on. Three of our members were killed in this tragic accident.
The group was reportedly celebrating the club’s birthday when the accident occurred
A statement was made by the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office about the tragic accident
‘Please join Thin Blue Line LEMC and Law Enforcement from around country in praying for these brave men and their families. These men who spent their lives serving our Country and their communities with valor and honor.’
The group describes themselves as a group of ‘active duty, retired, or reserve law enforcement officers from a variety of agencies and jurisdictions’.
‘As a fraternal organization, we strive to support one another, law enforcement professionals and our community’, their website reads.
‘Our colors clearly identify our affiliation with law enforcement and we are bound by our oath of office and law enforcement ‘code of ethics.”
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