Sept. 10, 2020, was a day the parents of Henderson County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Hendrix, Don and Heidi Hendrix, will never forget — it was the day their 34-year-old son was killed in the line of duty after responding to a robbery.
“It was the saddest day of our lives,” Heidi Hendrix said.
Three years and five months later, Feb. 1, 2024, will now be another day the family will never forget. On that day, the North Carolina Department of Transportation made it official, passing a resolution that the U.S. 64 bridge in Hendersonville that goes over Interstate 26 will be renamed the Deputy Ryan P. Hendrix Bridge.
“Ryan’s name will be honored for his sacrifice in serving Henderson County, and we are so comforted he will not be forgotten,” Heidi Hendrix said. “We are thankful to all who have worked to make this happen.”
His father, Don Hendrix, and his brothers, Jeff, Jamin, Don and Stephen, were at the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office for the Feb. 1 Zoom meeting with the NCDOT, as it passed the resolution. The motion to pass it was made by former Henderson County state representative Chuck McGrady, who is a board member of the NCDOT’s Road, Bridge, Ferry Naming Committee.