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At about 1:25 a.m., a 32-year-old man \"driving at a high rate of speed\" hit officer Mitchell Penton's squad car, which had its emergency lights on, Dallas police said.

\"PHOTO:
WFAA
PHOTO: A Dallas police officer died after being struck by a suspected drunk driver near North Central Expressway at Walnut Hill Lane Saturday morning.
>
\"PHOTO:
WFAA
PHOTO: A Dallas police officer died after being struck by a suspected drunk driver near North Central Expressway at Walnut Hill Lane Saturday morning.
>

The impact caused the squad car to hit Penton, who was securing the scene of an accident, police said.

The driver was allegedly intoxicated and was arrested for intoxication manslaughter on a police officer and intoxication assault, police said.

\"PHOTO:
WFAA
PHOTO: A Dallas police officer died after being struck by a suspected drunk driver near North Central Expressway at Walnut Hill Lane in Dallas, Texas, Feb. 13, 2021.
>

Penton, an officer trainee who joined the department in February 2019, was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The passenger in the suspect's car was hospitalized \"for trauma to her chest area and a laceration on her face,\" police said.

Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson said in a statement, “Dallas mourns today over the devastating loss of one of our police officers. He died far too young, but the measure of a life is not longevity, but what someone does with the time they have. And this officer dedicated his time to serving our great city in an inherently dangerous job. We are forever indebted to him and forever heartbroken by this tragedy.\"

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