TCSO identifies on-duty deputy killed in crash on FM 2244
AUSTIN, Texas - The Travis County Sheriff's Office has identified the on-duty deputy killed in a crash in the 7700 block of FM 2244 Wednesday morning.
TCSO says the deputy killed was Senior Deputy Christopher Korzilius, 32, and says funeral arrangements are pending and will be announced at a later date.
TCSO says Korzilius was assigned to TCSO's VICE unit and was driving his unmarked unit at the time of the crash. Korzilius had been with TCSO since 2016 and was promoted to senior deputy two years after joining TCSO and joined the VICE unit in January.
Korzilius was also one of several TCSO members recently honored at the agency's annual awards ceremony where he and five others received the Commendation Bar for responding to a shots fired call in July 2018. He also has received several other awards and commendations, including employee of the quarter seven months after being hired and letters of commendation and appreciation from supervisors and colleagues and was named Victim Services Deputy of the Year.
Austin-Travis County EMS says that the crash involved two vehicles and that when crews arrived one of the vehicles was on its roof and the driver of that vehicle was pinned inside.
ATCEMS says the other person involved in the crash was taken to the hospital. That person reportedly has potentially serious but non-life threatening injuries.
Texas DPS says a two-door Infiniti was traveling westbound on FM 2244 and a Ford Escape, which TCSO says was Korzilius's unmarked unit, was traveling eastbound. The Infiniti traveled into the eastbound lane and struck the Ford, causing it to vault over a guardrail and down an embankment. The driver, Korzilius, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash is being investigated by the Texas Department of Public Safety. They are being assisted by the TCSO HEAT (Highway Enforcement and Accident Team) unit.
Korzilius is the eighth deputy with the Travis County Sheriff's Office to be killed in the line of duty, says TCSO.