Published: December 01, 2008 01:01 pm      

Funeral services set for Trinity County sheriff

Funeral services for Trinity County Sheriff Brent Lee will be held at the Groveton High School gymnasium today beginning at 11 a.m. with a graveside ceremony to follow at 1 p.m. in Bennett Cemetery.

Visitation was held Monday from 6 p.m. - 9 p.m. at the Groveton Funeral Home.

According to information released by the Texas Department of Public Safety, Lee was killed on the morning of Nov. 27 when his patrol car left Farm-to-Market Road 3453 and crashed during the pursuit of a possible suspect.

Lee, 58, was ejected from his 2006 Ford Crown Victoria when the vehicle swerved off the road and hit a utility pole and a tree at approximately 4:20 a.m.

Lee was pronounced dead at the scene at 5 a.m.

“Lee was responding to a sighting of a suspect when his vehicle left the roadway to the right in a left-hand curve,” said Jesse Graves, a communications operator at the Lufkin DPS office. “His vehicle struck a power pole and a large pine tree and came to rest. Lee was ejected from the vehicle, after which his vehicle became completely engulfed in flames.”

Graves also indicated that Lee was driving without wearing a seatbelt, and that wet and foggy conditions may have contributed to the accident.

“The accident is still under investigation, and officers are currently doing an accident reconstruction,” Graves said.

According to a communications operator at the Lufkin DPS office, no additional details related to the accident investigation were available as of Monday afternoon.