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Who was John Horton? NC state trooper accidentally hit by brother's car, dies

John Horton and his driver were killed during a traffic stop when his own brother, also a trooper, lost control of his cruiser and smashed into him

North Carolina state trooper John Horton was killed during a traffic stop when his own brother, also a trooper, lost control of his cruiser and smashed into him on Monday, January 3. John Horton, a Highway Patrol Trooper, was standing on the shoulder of a road in Mooresboro along with a driver he had pulled over for undisclosed reasons. This is when both of them were hit by the police car of his brother, Trooper James Horton.

James lost control of his vehicle and hit the pair while he was responding to the scene to assist his sibling. Both the men died in the accident. The driver who had been pulled over, 26-year-old Dusty Luke Beck, was pronounced dead at the scene. John was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

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John was a 15-year veteran of the department. The incident is being investigated by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the highway patrol Collision Reconstruction Unit. However, no charges have been filed in the incident yet.

“Our hearts are broken with the loss of our friend and or brother, Trooper John Horton,” Highway Patrol Cmdr Freddy Johnson said in a statement. “For all involved in this tragic event the coming days will undoubtedly be difficult, but we are committed to stand alongside with them with our thoughts, prayers and unwavering support.”

North Carolina Gov Roy Cooper took to Twitter to express his sorrow at the tragic deaths. "We mourn the loss of two people tragically killed in a crash in Rutherford County last night including State Highway Patrol Trooper John Horton. We are deeply grateful for his service to the people of North Carolina," Governor Roy Cooper wrote. John is survived by his wife and six children.

A GoFundMe page has been set up for John. "According to a statement from North Carolina State Highway Patrol shared this morning of 01/04/22, a preliminary investigation has revealed that on Monday, January 3, at approximately 8:58 p.m., a member of the State Highway Patrol was struck by a responding Patrol member during a traffic stop at High Shoals Church Rd. and Goodes Grove Church Rd," the page reads. "Trooper James N. Horton was responding to assist with a traffic stop being conducted by Trooper John S. Horton when Trooper James Horton lost control of his vehicle upon approaching the traffic stop. Trooper James Horton collided with the stationary patrol vehicle and subsequently struck Trooper John Horton and the detained driver who was standing along the roadside.

"Trooper John Horton, a fifteen-year veteran assigned to Rutherford County, was transported to a Spartanburg hospital where he died of his injuries. The detained driver, who has yet to be identified, was pronounced deceased at the scene. Trooper James Horton was taken to a local hospital for minor injuries and has since been released. The two involved troopers are brothers," it adds. Till the writing of this article, $37,084 USD had been raised from the $75,000 goal.