Gov. Rick Perry will honor dozens of police officers, firefighters and first responders killed or severely hurt in the line of duty with Star of Texas awards at the Texas Capitol Wednesday.
Dallas firefighter William Scott Tanksley will be awarded the Star of Texas at this year's event. His wife Wendi will accept the award.
Tanksley died Feb. 10 when a car lost control driving on an icy bridge and struck him. He was helping a stranded driver at the time.
Hundreds of people attended Tanksley's funeral service in Kaufman County Feb. 18.
The Star of Texas Award was created to honor police and other emergency personnel who exhibited extraordinary service to the state. Some 363 awards have been distributed since the inaugural event in 2004.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
