KATY, Texas (Covering Katy News) — The body of Fort Bend County Sheriff's Deputy Kenneth Lewis will be transported to a Katy funeral home today, Friday, following a procession from Houston, and the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office is asking drivers to expect delays along the route.
The sheriff's office will escort Lewis from the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, 1861 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, at 8 a.m. today. The procession will travel westbound on the Westpark Toll Road and northbound on State Highway 99 before arriving at Schmidt Funeral Home, 1344 W. Grand Parkway South, Katy.
Deputy Lewis Struck by Hit-and-Run Driver
Lewis, 51, died Monday, two days after he was struck by a hit-and-run driver on Interstate 10 near Eldridge Parkway. He was off-duty but in uniform around 3:40 a.m. Saturday when he stopped to assist drivers involved in a two-vehicle crash. As Lewis was helping the drivers, a third vehicle — described as a black or dark-colored Honda sedan — struck him and fled the scene.
Deputy Had Survived Similar Highway Incident in 2014
It is not the first time Lewis faced danger on a highway. In 2014, while working for the Missouri City Police Department, Lewis was forced to jump 30 feet from a bridge to avoid being struck by a vehicle while working an accident scene. He survived, recovered and went on to serve 11 years with the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff Fagan: 'A Superhero Is Someone That Thinks of Others Before Themselves'
"A superhero is someone that thinks of others before themselves," Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan said Tuesday. "And that's what Deputy Lewis was doing. He took it upon myself to go back on duty to try to help that individual."
Fagan remembered Lewis as a man of deep faith and infectious joy, recalling a day Lewis accidentally broadcast gospel music across the department's radio system on his way to work.
"He made everybody go to church on that day," Fagan said. "He was a person that filled the room with laughter."
Deputy Lewis Survived by Three Children
Lewis is survived by three children — 17-year-old twin sons who are set to graduate high school this spring and a 15-year-old daughter.
Houston Police Searching for Dark-Colored Honda Sedan in Hit-and-Run
Houston police are leading the investigation and are reviewing video and toll data from the Katy Freeway area. Fagan called on the driver to come forward.
"If you are that person that struck my officer, call the Houston Police Department," Fagan said. "Turn yourself in. We are all going to find whoever did this."
Anyone with information is urged to contact the HPD Hit and Run Unit at 713-247-4065 or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.