Retired Easley police officer, Paul Ruppert of Pickens, SC., was sadly killed in a collision on SC 183 in Pickens County Tuesday afternoon, troopers confirm.

An outpouring of condolences were posted to social media in remembrance of Officer Ruppert. The following photos of the fallen top cop were obtained through his public Facebook page.

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Easley Police Chief Tim Tollison confirmed that Paul Ruppert was a former officer and retired from the Easley Police Department in 2012. Tollison said Ruppert “had a passion and enjoyed working traffic enforcement.”

He released the following statement on behalf of the Easley Police Department:

“All members of the Easley Police Department have a heavy heart today after learning of this tragedy. Paul dedicated a good portion of his life in serving the Easley community and has left a lasting impression on it. With the hope and belief that he could help make our roads safer, Paul’s passion as an officer was certainly traffic enforcement. It is unfortunate his passing came in this way. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Paul’s family during this difficult time.”

Troopers say a driver in a Honda was driving north on SC 183 when a driver in a Jeep SUV attempted to turn left, striking the driver in the Honda head on. The incident happened at 12:20 p.m.

This accident remains under investigation by the SC Highway Patrol.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends at this difficult time.

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