BROWNWOOD, Texas (AP) — The widow of a veteran Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who died in a 2015 traffic accident was presented with his gun as part of a monument ceremony to salute the officer.

A monument was unveiled Saturday in Brownwood in honor of Sgt. William “Karl” Keesee, 49, who died last October near Goldthwaite when his patrol vehicle left the road, went over a guardrail and into a creek bed. A passing motorist noticed debris on the road and summoned help.

Keesee joined DPS in 1990. He had the department-issued pistol, presented to his family, since 2004.

The monument was dedicated outside the Brownwood DPS office. Some of Keesee’s relatives at the ceremony wore black T-shirts that listed every law enforcement member and the words “who died standing on this line” in 2015, the Brownwood Bulletin reported.

“It really means a lot. It’s been unreal,” Keesee’s son, Karlton Keesee, said. “Thank you to my dad’s troopers. They’ve been amazing. Thank you family and friends.”

DPS has a tradition of presenting to the family a certificate and the pistol of the deceased.

Lt. Col. David Baker, Deputy Director of DPS, called William Keesee “a man of great courage and principle … His dedication and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

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