Today, the Dallas City Council approved the receipt of a donation from by QuikTrip for the purchase of four new blocker trucks for the Dallas Police Department. The new Ford F550 units will be deployed to block traffic at crashes and incidents on freeways and major thoroughfares where first responders are working in the roadway. Each truck is equipped with an LED arrow board and a crash attenuator, a device attached to the rear of the truck to absorb the impact of a crash, protecting the emergency personnel at the scene.
Nationwide, blocker trucks have become a common method of protecting people and equipment at crashes, construction sites, and closures on freeways and busy streets. The Dallas Police Department rolled out the first blocker trucks in 2023 after the tragic death of Officer Mitchell Penton, #11654, who was struck and killed while working a freeway crash in 2021. Prior to that, the only available tool to block and divert traffic was to utilize squad cars or fire apparatus, which often tied up those resources for long periods, and were expensive to repair if they were struck by a vehicle.
“We are deeply grateful to QuikTrip for this generous donation to protect our first responders at accident scenes,” said Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert. “The company has a long history of supporting public safety, and this donation further elevates their commitment,” Tolbert added…