CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi Police announced the death of Senior Officer Vicente Ortiz Jr. on Saturday. Ortiz was hit by a vehicle on Kostoryz Road May 21 and thrown from his police motorcycle. He was working traffic control during a funeral procession at the time he was hit.
Ortiz was a 15-year veteran of the police department. He is survived by his wife and two children.
How to help the Ortiz family
A GoFundMe has been set up that benefits Ortiz's family.
It was launched on May 26. As of 8:30 a.m. Saturday, there have been 124 donations, raising about $12,000 of its $60,000 goal.
Ortiz twice honored for saving a life
In 2016, the Corpus Christi Police Department gave Ortiz a Lifesaving Award. They said Ortiz found a man who had hung himself by the neck from a tree. Ortiz cut the man down and saved his life.
CCPD also recognized Ortiz in 2014 with a lifesaving ribbon for saving his father's life. Vicente Ortiz Sr. was the former mayor of Sinton. He had collapsed in front of his family, and his son -- Vicente Ortiz Jr. -- was able to provide CPR until other first responders arrived. That action saved his dad's life.
SouthTexasNews.com did a nice write-up of Ortiz Jr., calling him Sinton's "newest hero" following the elder Ortiz's recovery.
Ortiz second CCPD officer to die in the line of duty this year
Ortiz is the second Corpus Christi police officer to die in the line of duty in 2024. Officer Kyle Hicks died on April 24, four days after he was shot while responding to a domestic disturbance.
Aransas Pass Police motorcycle officer hit the day after Ortiz
Just one day after Ortiz was hit during a funeral procession, Aransas Pass Police Department Patrol Capt. Alvin Luker was hit from behind by an SUV while riding his three-wheel motorcycle.
Officials say Luker was thrown from the motorcycle and suffered significant injuries including broken bones, internal damage and nerve damage.
A GoFundMe has also been established to help Capt. Luker.