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One of the Irving Fire Department’s “blocker” units, designed to block scenes for emergency responders, did its job this morning. The repurposed fire truck was struck and destroyed by a passing vehicle, protecting emergency responders working a scene.

Irving police were working a crash scene along westbound 183 near Loop 12 as Blocker 8 was parked on the highway. The passing vehicle crashed into the Blocker unit, shielding the car from crashing into emergency responders. No emergency responders were injured. Unfortunately, the blocker unit was destroyed.

One of the deadliest places for emergency responders is on the highway. Irving FD implemented its blocker program to shield distracted, impaired, or just bad drivers from crashing into scenes. Old fire trucks that had been replaced by newer ones were repurposed, stripped of traditional fire equipment, and upfitted with emergency and traffic lights. The blocker units are dispatched with other fire and police units to protect highway scenes. These blockers not only protect emergency responders, but also their rigs. Fire trucks are big and expensive apparatus. Accidents, even minor ones, can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage, or even worse, destroyed.

A very smart and important program from Irving to protect their professional emergency workers and their expensive trucks!

Just before 5:30am this morning, Dallas police officers received a 9-1-1 call regarding a robbery at the Tom Thumb, 14999 Preston Road at Belt Line Road.

When patrol officers arrived, one of them witnessed a suspect exit out the front of the store. The suspect was taken into custody. Additional officers made entry into the store and evacuated the employees, two of whom were injured, but not seriously.

A perimeter was established around the building to locate any additional suspects inside the store. After SWAT officers responded and thoroughly searched the location, no other suspects were located. Officers do believe one suspect is still at large.

A Deputy Chief with the Dallas Police Department says these suspects may have been involved in a robbery late last night in northwest Dallas.

Multiple Grand Prairie Fire crews are on scene of an apartment fire at the Cottonwood Park apartments in the 500 block of Dickey Road.

Smoke and flames are showing from the 2nd floor of a 2 story apartment building. There are no reported injuries at this time.

This is a 2 alarm fire.

Fort Worth police officers were called to the scene of a shooting earlier today (Wednesday) at 4614 Benbrook Highway. Officers located a deceased male victim inside the place of business.

Homicide detectives determined a suspect entered the business with the intent to commit a robbery. During the course of the robbery, the suspect fired at the victim, striking and killing him.

Detectives positively identified the suspect, and located him in Gainesville, Texas traveling in a vehicle with other occupants. DPS Troopers conduced a felony traffic stop, and took the suspect into custody. An arrest warrant for Capital Murder was issued by the Fort Worth Police Department.

A quick update to the crash we posted earlier this morning. The Hickory Creek Police Department is investigating a major accident that killed one driver.

The pileup occurred earlier this morning (Wednesday) along southbound I35E near the Lake Lewisville bridge. At least three vehicles were involved in the crash, one piled up on top of another.

One of the occupants in one of the vehicles was transported to Medical City Denton with serious injuries, but died at the hospital. She has been identified as a 33-year-old female from Carrollton.

Additional details have not been released by officials.

The Denton Police and Fire Departments received word of a major accident in the 5100 block of Dakota Lane around 12:18pm this afternoon. Officers and paramedics responded to the scene and located a vehicle that had struck a utility pole.

Traffic investigators believe a custom-built two-door vehicle, styled after a 1965 Shelby Cobra, was traveling northbound on Dakota Lane near the Denton Municipal Airport when it left the roadway and ran into a utility pole.

The driver and sole occupant, a 50-year-old Argyle resident, was transported to the hospital, but died shortly thereafter.

Investigators are still working to determine if speed was a factor in the crash.

Here is a quick update on the incident we posted earlier today. The Tarrant County Medical Examiner’s Office confirms two men have died after suffering serious traumatic injuries at a Cleburne equipment shop.

Cleburne Fire/EMS personnel were called to Landmark Equipment at 2449 Weatherford Highway around 12:30pm this afternoon. A 9-1-1 caller reported a skid steer (or similar type machine) had fallen on top of two men.

EMS conducted resuscitation efforts to the hospital, but the injuries were too severe. Both individuals, identified as a 46-year-old man from Arlington and a 77-year-old man from Granbury, died in the emergency room at Walls Hospital in Cleburne.

There are no additional details to provide at this time.

Multiple Cleburne FD/EMS and PD units are on scene of a trauma injury at an equipment facility in the 2400 block of Weatherford Highway.

Initial reports indicate a large agriculture machine fell on two people. Both reported to be seriously injured and have been transported to Walls Hospital in Cleburne.