Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall is honoring a fallen south Alabama police officer after he was killed early Wednesday in an on-duty crash.

Officer Dallas Hinton, 25, of the Thomasville Police Department, died after his patrol vehicle struck the rear of a box container trailer at about 5:00 a.m. on U.S. Highway 43 in Clarke County, according to officials.

Thomasville Police Chief Mitchell Stuckey said Hinton was on duty at the time of the crash. The impact caused the patrol vehicle to catch fire, and Hinton was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hinton had served with the department for about two years and was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He was also engaged to be married, according to the report.

“When you realize it’s one of yours, we don’t have a lot of practice in that,” Stuckey said. “We’re obviously not doing very good.”

“We’re a small county and we’re all close,” the chief added. “It’s a very impactful situation and only by the grace of God will we be able to get through it.”

In a statement posted to social media, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said the loss is being felt across the region.

“Today, we lost a true servant of his community,” Marshall said. “Officer Dallas Hinton of the Thomasville Police Department was killed this morning in an automobile accident, and the weight of that loss is felt deeply across Thomasville and Clarke County.”

Marshall noted that before becoming a police officer, Hinton served in the United States Marine Corps and carried that same sense of duty and devotion in his work protecting the community.

“Alabama law enforcement stands with his family, his fellow officers, and all who loved him,” Marshall said. “We are grateful for every day he gave in service to others, and we grieve alongside you during this unimaginably difficult time.”

Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].