A Metro Nashville police officer was fatally struck by a motor home while assisting at the scene of a wreck Saturday morning.
Officer Michael Petrina was directing traffic on I-65 after a pickup truck overturned while taking the on-ramp from Old Hickory Boulevard, according to The Tennessean.
The motor home rounded a blind curve on the highway, tried to navigate between Petrina's cruiser and a Tennessee Department of Transportation truck -- and slammed into the 25-year-old rookie officer.
Petrina, who graduated the academy in September, was pronounced dead at the scene.
He is survived by his parents and his brother.
"He loved life and he loved what he was doing," his father, Jim Petrina, told the newspaper.
Counseling is currently being offered to officers in Petrina's precinct and officials say the loss has been hard on the department.
"(Officer Petrina) wanted to devote his life to public service, and he was well on his way to doing that," Police Chief Steve Anderson told reporters.
No charges are being filed immediately against the motor home's driver, 71-year-old Dean Joseph Diver.
The investigation is currently ongoing.
Funeral arrangements for Petrina are pending.
