This Military Service Page was created/owned by
TFC Phillip M Hanners, Jr. (684)
to remember
Johnson, Rick, TPR.
If you knew or served with this Officer and have additional information or photos to support this Page, please leave a message for the Page Administrator(s) HERE.
May 6, 2000
Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo County
Michigan, USA
Fallen Hero.
Rick was the beloved son of Gary and Carol Lynn Johnson. He graduated from Petoskey High School in 1983, and was married to Sandy. He died as a result of injuries sustained during a traffic stop on I-94 in Van Buren County. As a result, Michigan passed a state law requiring vehicles passing patrol stops to slow and move to the far lane or face hefty fines. Rick was the devoted father of Kyle and Katie. He was the 48th Michigan State Police officer to die while in the line of duty.
Trooper Rick Johnson was killed after being struck by a vehicle during a traffic stop on I-94 in Van Buren County, Michigan. The trooper had approached the stopped vehicle on the passenger side, and was returning to his Chevy Tahoe cruiser when a third vehicle ran off of the roadway, and rear ended his vehicle right as he was walking in between it and the vehicle he had stopped. He was momentarily pinned between the two vehicles before the Tahoe spun into the travel lanes, trapping him underneath. Trooper Johnson was flown to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the vehicle which struck him received minor injuries in the crash. On the day before the incident, Trooper Johnson had convinced a suicidal man not to jump off of an overpass near the site of the accident. Trooper Johnson had been employed with the Michigan State Police for five years, and is survived by his wife and young children. Leave a Reflection · Update Memorial Read more: http://www.odmp.org/officer/15387-trooper-rick-lee-johnson#ixzz1sMtkk2fW
