DENVER — An off-duty Adams County deputy was hit and killed Tuesday night on Highway 52 by a driver in Fort Lupton, sheriff’s officials said.

Deputy Joshua Tapia was walking in the area when he was hit. The driver of the car stopped, rendered aid and called 911, Sgt. Adam Sherman with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office said.

The crash happened on Highway 52 near South Purman Avenue around 9:27 p.m. Tuesday, according to a news release from the Fort Lupton Police Department.

Paramedics took Tapia to the hospital, where he died from his injuries, Sherman said.

“Deputy Tapia was a cherished husband, father, friend and dedicated deputy who devoted over 25 years of service to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office,” the sheriff’s office said in a memorial post on social media.

Tapia was also a member of Rampart Search and Rescue — an organization that responds to missing and stranded people, provides disaster assistance, monitors hazardous weather and offers safety education in Adams and Lincoln counties.

Tapia was someone “who was devoted to serving the community in any capacity he could,” sheriff’s officials said in the post.

The Fort Lupton Police Department is investigating the crash. Anyone with information about the crash or who has surveillance or dash-camera video is asked to contact investigators at 720-466-6151.

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