State trooper dies after he’s hit during traffic stop on interstate, Michigan cops say
A Michigan state trooper was killed after he was struck by a vehicle while conducting a traffic stop on the interstate, Michigan State Police say.
Trooper Joel Popp, 39, was hit by a car on the interstate near Birch Run after he pulled over a vehicle in a curved lane, police say. The 81-year-old driver hit Popp, who was outside his vehicle, and two patrol cars, troopers say.
The trooper was immediately taken to the hospital on Jan. 24 where he died of his injuries, according to police. The driver also suffered serious injuries, according to a news release, but is expected to survive.
“This is a message none of us wishes to deliver. With a very heavy heart I confirm the death of one of our own, Tpr. Joel Popp,” MSP Director James F. Grady II said in the release. “I ask that you please keep his family, fellow troopers and all whose lives he has touched in your thoughts.”
Popp had been a state trooper since January 2020, police said. He was married and has a young daughter.
He is the 56th MSP trooper killed on the job, according to a news release.
Birch Run is about 90 miles northwest of Detroit.
This story was originally published January 25, 2024 at 8:49 AM with the headline "State trooper dies after he’s hit during traffic stop on interstate, Michigan cops say."
