Texas State Troopers Fill in for Injured Colleague at Daddy-Daughter Dance

When a Texas State Trooper was unable to take his daughters to a daddy-daughter dance, five of his fellow state troopers agreed to fill in so they would be able to attend.

Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Trooper Curtis Putz was unable to attend his two daughters’ daddy-daughter dance after being struck by a car while investigating a crash in Navarro County during a winter storm in February, FOX 4 reported.

Citing DPS Director Steven McCraw, the Dallas Morning News reported at the time that Putz was injured when a driver was moving “too fast for the conditions, lost control of the vehicle and ran into our trooper” amid freezing rain and ice on the road.

WFLA reported Putz sustained several injuries, including a broken hip, pelvis, femur, ribs, forearm, and shoulder, as well as lacerations to his liver and arteries. 

Authorities indicated he underwent multiple surgeries and was at the beginning of a lengthy recovery, per the Morning News. 

“Trooper Putz’s condition continues to improve daily, however he faces a long recovery ahead,” a DPS statement read. “We ask for your continued thoughts and prayers for him and his family.”

A March 21 update to a GoFundPage drive set up to help the family with expenses associated with Putz’s injuries indicated the trooper has been moved to a rehabilitation facility and is “working so hard to get home!!”

Unfortunately, the update also predicted Putz will need to use a wheelchair to get around. 

However, Putz’s colleagues did not want his daughters to miss out on their daddy-daughter dance, so they stepped in to help. Five DPS troopers showed up in their patrol cars with flowers in hand to take Putz’s two fifth-grade daughters to the dance, per WFLA.

The injured trooper’s wife, Toshua Putz, expressed her gratitude for the troopers.

“I know it’s cliché, but they have restored my faith in humanity,” she told FOX 4.

“While Putz is on the long road to recovery, several DPS troopers went the extra mile to share a special moment with his family,” the American Association of State Troopers said in a statement, per WFLA.