Early on the morning of October 17, around 2 a.m., veteran officer Thomas Duran of the El Reno Police Department was flagged down by a concerned pedestrian on Watts Street near Wilson Street in El Reno, Oklahoma. He had stopped to speak with the individual when suddenly a vehicle veered off the road, struck him, and fled the scene.
The pedestrian who had flagged him down immediately rushed to move Sergeant Duran out of harm’s way and called for help. Duran was quickly airlifted to the University of Oklahoma Health Center, where he underwent emergency treatment. Despite the best efforts of medical staff, he succumbed to his injuries at 6:36 p.m. on October 24.
Loved ones and his colleagues remember Duran not just as a committed law-enforcement officer, but as a devoted husband and father whose life quietly reflected service long before his final shift. He had served 14 years with the El Reno Police Department and had previous service with the Enid Police Department and as a detention officer at the Edmond Police Department. (The original account you provided noted those details, and all align with public remembrance of his career.)
In his final act of compassion, Duran’s family and department announced that he had been an organ donor—his organs now giving life to others in need. The department stated that, even in death, he “continues to serve with self-less dedication.”
Following an intensive investigation, authorities arrested the driver, Logan Reese Primeaux, and a passenger, Michelle Black, in connection with the crash. Primeaux faces charges including second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter and leaving the scene of a fatality accident. Black is charged with accessory to a felony.
The community response was immediate and profound. On October 27, hundreds of law-enforcement officers from across Oklahoma escorted Duran’s body from the Medical Examiner’s Office to a funeral home in Kingfisher, traveling by bikes, cars and trucks in a tribute to a fallen comrade. “It’s an honor that we wish we didn’t have to perform,” said officials from the Fraternal Order of Police.
Duran’s legacy now resonates in El Reno—his courage, his willingness to help others, and his final moments spent assisting someone in need reflect the very heart of public service. His family, community and department mourn deeply the loss of a devoted officer, husband and father. His watch has ended, but his legacy lives on in every life his final gift has touched and every mind his example has inspired.
Rest in peace, Sergeant Duran—thank you for answering the call.
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