Tennessee officials say an officer who graduated from the police academy last month has been killed by a hit-and-run driver while checking on a hazard in a roadway.
A statement from the Chattanooga Police Department says 38-year-old Nicholas Galinger was struck Saturday night while on a call with his field training officer.
He was outside the patrol vehicle when a passing SUV hit him.
Police say they are searching for the driver of a 2017 or 2018 Honda CRV.
Police say Galinger was taken to a hospital, but died from his injuries.
Chattanooga Police Chief David Roddy says the community “lost not just an officer. We lost a son, a father, a friend, and a protector.”
The Associated Press contributed to this article.