Julie Garcia and Chris Ramirez

Corpus Christi Caller-Times

KINGSVILLE - A veteran law enforcement officer was killed Wednesday morning when the vehicle he was driving was struck by a train south of Kingsville.

Sgt. Nathan Brandley with the Texas Department of Public Safety said the crash occurred about 7:30 a.m. at the intersection of U.S. Highway 77 and County Road 2140.

Ken Starrs, the assistant commander of the South Texas Specialized Crimes and Narcotics Taskforce, was driving to his office on County Road 2140 beyond the railroad tracks on Highway 77 when the train struck the pickup he was driving.

Starrs was 65.

He was crossing a set of railroad tracks that run parallel to the highway and was struck by a Union Pacific train, Brandley said.

The intersection does not have railroad crossing arms. The train had a crew of two people — a conductor and an engineer. It stretched 5,700-feet and was comprised of 53 cars, said Jeff DeGraff, director of corporate relations and media with Union Pacific.

DeGraff said the train was mainly empty with only five cars containing cargo. It started in Olmito and was headed to Angleton. He did not know how fast the train was going at the time of the collision or what speed the train was required to travel in that area.

The incident will be investigated by DPS, Brandley said. Union Pacific is conducting its own investigation.

Trains are equipped with onboard cameras, including those that face the tracks as the train is moving forward, DeGraff said. Initial indications, based on witness accounts and statements from the crew, show that the driver of the pickup stopped at the intersection and looked for northbound train traffic.

"This is something we've seen numerous times before..." DeGraff said.

The train crew was replaced by relief workers, but the train was still on site at 11 a.m.

The fairly new task force was created in July by Kleberg County commissioners and is comprised mostly of former members of the Kingsville Specialized Crimes and Narcotics Taskforce. The Kingsville unit was released by the city in July but was taken over by Kleberg County later that month, according to the Kingsville Record.

Before he worked in Kingsville, Starrs worked for the Corpus Christi Police Department from 1977 until his retirement in 2004. His wife, Karen Starrs, also worked at the department as a crime prevention specialist until 2003.

Starrs retired as a captain and worked a number of years with juvenile justice, narcotics and other specialized crimes. He later worked for the Port of Corpus Christi police.

U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, posted about the incident on his Facebook page.

"Debbie (Farenthold) and my thoughts and prayers are with those involved in this morning's train accident in Kingsville. Our law enforcement officers dedicate their lives to our communities and their sacrifices will never be forgotten," he wrote.

U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, said he was saddened to hear of Starrs' death.

"Mr. Starrs dedicated much of his life to public service, and his legacy will live on through the law enforcement officers that make daily sacrifices to protect our communities. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Mr. Starrs and all of Kleberg County as they deal with this loss," Vela said in a statement.

In lieu of flowers, Karen Starrs requested donations to Corpus Christi's Fraternal Order of Police Shop with a Cop, P.O. Box 440, Corpus Christi, TX 78403. For more information on Shop with a Cop, call 361-442-4787.