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Street named in honor of fallen Lawrence police officer

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) — A fallen Lawrence police officer was remembered Thursday with a street renamed in his honor.

Officer Craig Herbert died in the line of duty 10 years ago Thursday. Officer Herbert died March 5, 2005 at the end of a high speed chase when his patrol car was struck at intersection of Franklin Road and 46th Street

A stolen vehicle going 100 mph went airborne when it hit the railroad tracks and hit Herbert’s car. Now that section of Franklin Road will be ceremonially renamed Officer Craig Herbert Way.

The mayor of Lawrence unveiled the new sign Thursday morning in front of a crowd that included Herbert’s mother, dozens of police officers and community members. Mayor Dean Jessup spoke about Herbert’s dedication to keeping that part of the city safe.

For 10 years, a white cross has marked the spot in the parking lot where the officer died. But now the officer’s name will be displayed right along the side of Franklin Road.

Mayor Jessup said it will be a tribute to the fallen officer and a constant reminder of his dedication to the police force.

“Craig was that kind of an officer,” Mayor Jessup said. “He would go out of his way to help someone. I told his mother a moment ago Craig even made the bad guys like him, so we miss him dearly.”

The city of Lawrence recently won an $860,000 to redevelop the stretch of Franklin where Herbert’s accident happened.

The railroad crossings will become level with the road. This should prevent cars from becoming airborne when they hit the tracks, which is what happened to the car that struck Herbert’s patrol car.

There are also plans for a new sidewalk to help with pedestrian safety.

A time frame for construction has not been set.