Young Construction Worker Killed After Being Struck by Off-Duty Officer Vehicle at Mesquite Highway Work Zone
A tragedy unfolded on an overnight stretch of Interstate 635 in Mesquite when a 22-year-old construction worker lost his life after being struck by a police vehicle operated by an off-duty officer. The fatal collision has left a grieving family demanding answers, a pregnant partner mourning the man she loved, and a community calling for greater accountability in highway work zone safety.
,Edwin Valdez died following the crash on June 23 while working at a construction site along Interstate 635., He was young, hardworking, and by all accounts, deeply devoted to the family he was building. His death has sent shockwaves through those who knew him and has raised urgent questions about the safety protocols in place at active construction zones on some of North Texas’s busiest highways.
,Mesquite police said the crash took place around 11:40 p.m. while Valdez was guiding a crane across the highway., It was a routine task in the middle of what should have been a managed and protected work environment. ,According to police, an off-duty police vehicle that was working traffic control for the construction company struck Valdez while the officer was repositioning to set up for the next road closure.,
The circumstances of the collision paint a picture of a preventable tragedy. Valdez was doing exactly what he was assigned to do, working in a designated construction corridor on a major Dallas-area interstate in the late hours of the night. Off-duty officers are frequently employed by construction companies in Texas to provide traffic control and help protect workers in active highway zones. In this case, however, the vehicle meant to serve as a safeguard became the instrument of a worker’s death.
,The family of the 22-year-old construction worker is now searching for answers after he was struck and killed by a police vehicle at the highway work zone in Mesquite., Among those left behind is his partner, Jazmin Torres, who is expecting their child. ,Torres said the couple had been planning for the future and preparing to welcome their child together., She described Valdez as a devoted and excited father-to-be who spoke often about the kind of life and childhood he wanted to give his son.
The grief Torres carries is compounded by a deep sense of injustice. ,She is demanding accountability and raising pointed questions about the details of the crash, including how fast the vehicle was traveling, whether its emergency lights were activated at the time of impact, and whether the collision could have been prevented., These are questions that she feels have gone unanswered for too long, and her frustration is evident. In her view, the officer’s job was to keep workers like Edwin safe, not to be the cause of their death.
,Mesquite police have confirmed that the investigation remains ongoing, and investigators do not anticipate criminal charges will be filed in connection with the crash., That determination has only deepened the heartbreak felt by Torres and those close to Valdez. For a family that lost a son, a partner, and a father-to-be in a single night, the prospect of no legal accountability is a painful reality to confront.
,Police have not publicly released additional details about the investigation,, leaving the family and the public with few concrete answers about exactly what happened in the moments before Valdez was struck. The lack of transparency has added to the family’s anguish and fueled calls from advocates for more rigorous oversight of off-duty officer operations at construction zones across the state.
Highway construction zones have long been recognized as among the most dangerous environments for workers in Texas. The state consistently ranks among the highest in the nation for work zone fatalities, with nighttime construction operations carrying elevated risks due to reduced visibility, high-speed traffic, and the complexity of coordinating heavy equipment and personnel in close proximity to active lanes.
The use of off-duty law enforcement officers to manage traffic at construction sites is a widespread practice, designed specifically to enhance safety by putting trained personnel with marked vehicles and lights at the perimeter of work zones. When that system fails, and a worker loses his life as a result, it forces a critical examination of how those officers are trained, how vehicles are operated within active zones, and what standards exist to prevent such tragedies from occurring.
Edwin Valdez was 22 years old. He was preparing for fatherhood, working hard to build a better life for his growing family, and doing a job that keeps Texas roads functional for millions of commuters. His death at an IH-635 construction zone is a sobering reminder of the very real dangers that highway workers face every night, often unseen and unappreciated by the drivers who pass through their work zones.
As Mesquite police continue their investigation, Jazmin Torres and Edwin’s family are calling not just for answers, but for change. They want to know that his death will not be reduced to a statistic, and that the systems designed to protect workers like him will be scrutinized, strengthened, and held to a higher standard going forward.
Dallas Headlines will continue to follow this developing story as the investigation progresses and additional information becomes available from Mesquite authorities.