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Published in the Pioneer Press - September 9, 2009
Officer, 23, died after on-duty traffic accident
Wisconsin state trooper Jorge Dimas is gone, but not forgotten.
Dimas - who died in June from injuries suffered in a traffic accident while on patrol - was honored Wednesday with a posthumous Purple Heart Award from the Wisconsin State Patrol.
The family of Dimas, 23, accepted his award during the 2009 State Patrol Special Awards Ceremony at the state Capitol in Madison. He is only the fifth trooper in the state to die in the line of duty and the first since 1993.
During the presentation of Dimas' award, "there was probably not a dry eye in the governor's conference room," said State Patrol Superintendent David Collins, who gave the award to Dimas' family. "It is a huge loss for us."
Collins called Dimas a "very valued and gifted member" of the State Patrol and said his death puts in perspective for troopers what their commitment can be to their jobs.
"One of the most risky things that officers in this nation do is drive out on roadways each and every day," said Collins, adding that the accident will be examined further for anything his agency can learn.
About 9:30 p.m. May 9, Dimas was driving north on Wisconsin 35 south of Frederic when he decided to make a U-turn. He turned on his warning lights, slowed down and pulled off to the right.
A pickup truck had been traveling in the same direction behind him, and when Dimas attempted the U-turn, he turned directly into its path, according to an investigation.
The pickup hit Dimas' cruiser on the driver's side door, and Dimas suffered a broken pelvis, concussion and a severe cut that ran across his body. Dimas died June 14 in an assisted-living facility in Amery.
No charges were filed against the driver of the pickup, said Lt. Steve Smith with the Polk County sheriff's office. After Dimas' squad car pulled to the side of the road, the driver slowed and moved to the left of the road, Smith said.
"There was no negligent driving on his (the pickup driver's) part," said Smith, who referred to Dimas' death as "a tragic accident."
Dimas' mother, JuaNita Ann Rose, said in a past interview that as a child Dimas told her he "wanted to be a police officer when he grew up because he wanted to put all the bad guys in jail."
He also is survived by an infant son.
Published in the Chicago Tribune - September 9, 2009
MADISON, Wis. - The Wisconsin State Patrol will honor a trooper killed earlier this year.
The patrol plans to give Jorge Dimas' family a posthumous Purple Heart during a ceremony at the state Capitol. Dumas died in June of injuries he suffered a month earlier in a traffic crash while patrolling in Polk County.
The 23-year-old Dumas is the first state trooper to die in the line of duty since 1993.
The patrol also plans to honor 21 other troopers for exemplary service and lifesaving actions. The ceremony is set for Wednesday afternoon.
Published on WEAU-TV 13 - Sep 8, 2009
Trooper Jorge Dimas is one of more than 20 members of the state patrol who will be honored Wednesday.
The Wisconsin State Patrol is giving a posthumous purple heart award to a trooper who died in the line of duty. Trooper Jorge Dimas is one of more than 20 members of the state patrol who will be honored Wednesday. The awards are for exemplary service and saving lives.
Dimas died on June 13th at age 23. He was hurt in a traffic crash while patrolling in Polk County in May. Dimas was one of only five state troopers to lose their lives in the line of duty.
The state patrol says troopers from Eau Claire, River Falls, and Stevens Point are among the other award winners. Their names haven't been released.
Published in the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel - June 21, 2009
Funeral services were held over the weekend for a Wisconsin state trooper who died of injuries from an on-duty traffic accident.
Jorge Dimas, 23, of Amery is the first Wisconsin State Patrol officer to die in the line of duty since 1993.
Dimas was injured in a traffic accident near Frederic in northwestern Wisconsin on May 9 and was recuperating at an assisted-living facility in Amery. He died June 14.
A December 2008 graduate of the Wisconsin State Patrol Academy, Dimas had turned on his flashing lights and pulled to the side of Highway 35 to stop a speeder when he made a U-turn and was struck by a pickup truck. Dimas suffered a broken pelvis and concussion as well as a deep laceration. The 72-year-old Minnesota truck driver was not injured.
Dimas' injuries were so severe doctors said it would take another two months before he would have been able to stand and use a wheelchair, said Glen A. Jones, president of the Wisconsin Troopers' Association.
"He showed a lot of promise. He was a young, enthusiastic officer," said Jones, a trooper in the Waukesha district and an instructor who taught Dimas and other recruits at the 22-week-long academy.
Dimas is the fifth Wisconsin trooper to die in the line of duty since the State Patrol was formed in 1939. Three others also died from traffic accidents - Gary Powless, 31, near Tomah in 1980; Deborah M. McMenamin, 31, near Eau Claire in 1989; and William Schoenberger, 31, near Osseo in 1993. The first trooper killed, Donald Pederson, 31, was ambushed in 1972 by a 16-year-old boy who shot him to death shortly after Pederson had given the youth a speeding ticket in Green Lake County.
"Since 1998 more officers each year are injured or killed in the line of duty in traffic-related incidents than are shot or stabbed. Most people don't realize that," Jones said Sunday. "Our training makes us much more aware of firearms, we have more technology but for law enforcement in general, they still don't make a car-proof vest."
More than 250 law enforcement officials from throughout Wisconsin and as far away as the Texas Highway Patrol attended Dimas' funeral in Amery on Saturday. Gov. Jim Doyle ordered U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-staff Saturday in Dimas' honor.
"He was a confident young man who was determined to become a top-notch trooper," Wisconsin State Patrol Capt. Doug Notbohm said in a statement.
"We join his family in mourning the loss of Jorge and will miss his presence on the force."
Dimas leaves behind a fiancée, an 8-month-old son, parents and four brothers.
Published in the Saint Paul Pioneer - June 18, 2009
POLK COUNTY, WI - Jorge Dimas always had wanted to be a police officer.
As his family plans the funeral for the Wisconsin state trooper who died over the weekend - a month after he was injured in a car crash near Frederic - they are clinging to the memories of a sweet family man with a sense of humor.
Dimas was in second grade when he drew a picture of a police car, his mother JuaNita Ann Rose recalled. He told her he "wanted to be a police officer when he grew up because he wanted to put all the bad guys in jail," she said.
Dimas, 23, of Amery, was found dead Sunday in the assisted-living facility in Amery where he was recovering from his injuries. He suffered a broken pelvis, concussion and a severe cut that ran across his body.
It's not yet known whether the injuries Dimas suffered in the May 9 crash led to his death, investigators have said.
His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1050 Keller Ave. N. in Amery. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church and also from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Williamson & White Funeral Home, 222 Harriman Ave. N. in Amery.
Wisconsin State Patrol Capt. Doug Notbohm said Dimas - who joined the agency in July - was excited to start his career with the patrol.
"He was a confident young man who was determined to become a top-notch trooper," Notbohm said in a statement. "We join his family in mourning the loss of Jorge and will miss his presence on the force."
Dimas was a "really sweet guy" who had a great sense of humor, his mother said. He leaves behind an 8-month-old son.
Dimas was on duty and driving north on Wisconsin 35 south of Frederic about 9:23 p.m. May 9. A truck driven by a 72-year-old St. Paul man was heading the same direction directly behind him, according to initial reports.
Dimas turned on his warning lights, slowed down and pulled off to the right. The truck behind him drove to the left to pass, according to the investigator's report. Then Dimas attempted to make a U-turn, turning directly into the path of the truck.
Although the truck's driver hit his brakes, the truck struck Dimas' cruiser on the driver's side door. The truck's driver survived the crash.
Published in the River Towns - June 17, 2009
Law enforcement agencies from throughout the region are expected in Amery Saturday to honor a fallen officer when services are held for Trooper Jorge Dimas, who died Sunday, just more than a month after his squad car was struck broadside as he attempted a traffic stop near Frederic.
Dimas died Sunday evening, June 14, at Riverbend, a residential assisted living facility where he was recovering from his injuries, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Department.
An autopsy was performed Monday and the initial cause of death has not been determined. Further test results are expected to take at least three weeks.
Deputies say that on May 9th, Dimas pulled to the shoulder to turn around and chase a suspected violator. When he pulled back onto the highway, he collided with a pickup truck, which hit the squad car in the driver's door. The Ford F150 truck was driven by Richard R. Dvorak, 72, St. Paul. The report stated Dimas had activated the squad car's red lights prior to the collision.
He began his career with the Wisconsin State Patrol on July 20, 2008 and was assigned to his native Polk County. He lived in Amery.
Visitation will be from 4- 8 p.m., Friday, June 19 at Williamson & White Funeral Home, 222 Harriman Ave. N., Amery. The funeral is at 11 a.m., Saturday, June 20th at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1050 Keller Ave. N.
He is survived by his parents, JauNita and Jorge Dimas and a son, Carson.
Published on the WQOW News - June 16, 2009
Polk County - Fellow law enforcement officers say they were shocked when they heard a state trooper from Polk County had died.
Jorge Dimas passed away at an assisted living facility in Amery on Sunday. An autopsy was unable to determine the cause of his death.
In May, Dimas was injured in a crash on Highway 35 near Frederic. Investigators say he pulled to the shoulder to turn around so he could make a traffic stop. But when he pulled back onto the highway, he collided with a pickup. The Polk County sheriff says Dimas was seriously injured in the crash, but by all accounts, he was recuperating.
He says it was a shock to everyone in law enforcement from that area when they heard he passed away. Since the autopsy couldn't pinpoint what caused his death, more tests will be done. The sheriff's department says it's still investigating the crash.
Dimas, who grew up in Polk County, was 23-years-old. He'd only been with the state patrol for about 10 months.
The state patrol issued this statement Tuesday, "Trooper Dimas was a confident young man who was determined to become a top-notch trooper. We join his family in mourning the loss of Jorge and will miss his presence on the force."
Visitation will be held at Williamson-White Funeral Home in Amery on Friday, with the funeral to follow on Saturday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Amery.
Published in the Pioneer Press - June 16, 2009
Lawman's death comes month after being hurt in crash
Jorge Dimas always had wanted to be a police officer.
As his family plans the funeral for the Wisconsin state trooper who died over the weekend - a month after he was injured in a car crash near Frederic - they are clinging to the memories of a sweet family man with a sense of humor.
Dimas was in second grade when he drew a picture of a police car, his mother JuaNita Ann Rose recalled. He told her he "wanted to be a police officer when he grew up because he wanted to put all the bad guys in jail," she said.
Dimas, 23, of Amery, was found dead Sunday in the assisted-living facility in Amery where he was recovering from his injuries. He suffered a broken pelvis, concussion and a severe cut that ran across his body.
It's not yet known whether the injuries Dimas suffered in the May 9 crash led to his death, investigators have said.
His funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1050 Keller Ave. N. in Amery. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church and also from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Williamson & White Funeral Home, 222 Harriman Ave. N. in Amery.
Wisconsin State Patrol Capt. Doug Notbohm said Dimas - who joined the agency in July - was excited to start his career with the patrol.
"He was a confident young man who was determined to become a top-notch trooper," Notbohm said in a statement. "We join his family in mourning the loss of Jorge and will miss his presence on the force."
Dimas was a "really sweet guy" who had a great sense of humor, his mother said. He leaves behind an 8-month-old son.
Dimas was on duty and driving north on Wisconsin 35 south of Frederic about 9:23 p.m. May 9. A truck driven by a 72-year-old St. Paul man was heading the same direction directly behind him, according to initial reports.
Dimas turned on his warning lights, slowed down and pulled off to the right. The truck behind him drove to the left to pass, according to the investigator's report. Then Dimas attempted to make a U-turn, turning directly into the path of the truck.
Although the truck's driver hit his brakes, the truck struck Dimas' cruiser on the driver's side door. The truck's driver survived the crash.
Published in the Inter-County Leader - June 15, 2009
AMERY - Jorge Dimas, the 23-year-old State Patrol trooper injured May 9 when his squad car was broadsided by a pickup truck on Hwy. 35 south of Frederic, has died.
According to a press release from the Polk County Sheriff's Dept., Dimas died Sunday, June 14, in his room at Riverbend, a residential assisted living facility where he was recovering from his injuries.
The Amery Police Dept., along with the Polk County Sheriff's Office and Polk County Medical Examiners Office, are investigating the death.
The sheriff's office received a 911 call around 6 p.m., requesting emergency medical personnel. When Amery Ambulance Service arrived, they located Dimas, who had passed away.
An autopsy was performed Monday and the initial cause of death has not been determined. Further test results are expected to take at least three weeks.
A preliminary accident investigation showed that Trooper Dimas was traveling northbound and in the process of turning around to respond to a traffic violation when he pulled into the path of a northbound pickup driven by Richard R. Dvorak, 72, St. Paul. The report stated Dimas had activited the squad car's red lights prior to the collision.
Trooper Dimas began his career with the Wisconsin State Patrol on July 20, 2008 and was assigned to his native Polk County. He lived in Amery.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
In Memory of Trooper Jorge Dimas
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