A Tyler, Texas police officer was critically injured on the night of Friday, September 18, 2026, when a driver authorities say was intoxicated ran a stop sign at high speed and slammed into his marked patrol car. Officer Josiah Baxter had to be cut out of the wreckage and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors found he had suffered a broken hip, a broken arm, a spinal fracture, broken ribs and a broken clavicle. On Friday, September 25, fellow officers gathered at the hospital to send Baxter off with a police escort as he was transferred to a rehabilitation facility to continue his recovery. The Tyler Police Department and community groups have rallied around Baxter and his family in the days since the crash.
According to KLTV, the driver who struck Baxter’s patrol car has been identified as 21-year-old Robert Ashton Fasang, who was arrested and charged with intoxication assault causing serious bodily injury to a peace officer. KLTV reported that Baxter, who is the sole provider for his wife and three children, one of whom requires round-the-clock care, has received support from the Tyler Police Foundation, the Tyler Patrolman’s Association and local restaurants donating proceeds toward his recovery. The crash remains under investigation by Tyler police as Baxter begins the next phase of his treatment.
