Deputy electrocuted while responding to crash, Indiana cops say. ‘Our heart is broken’

A deputy died after coming into contact with a power line while responding to a crash, Indiana authorities say.

“It is a sad day for the Hendricks County Sheriff’s Office and community,” Hendricks County Sheriff Jack Sadler said during a Tuesday, April 16, news briefing.

Deputy Fred Fislar, who had been with the department a little more than two years, had responded to a crash late April 15 involving a driver who struck a utility pole, the sheriff’s office said. The aftermath left electrical wires hanging low by the crashed car.

About three minutes after Fislar arrived on the scene, a witness used Fislar’s radio to contact dispatch, indicating an officer was down, authorities said.

Fislar was taken to a hospital in critical condition after coming into contact with the power line, according to the sheriff. He was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

“Our heart is broken for the Fislar family, for our department family and for our community family,” Sadler said.

Fislar, who served as a Marine, joined the sheriff’s office in 2021, authorities said. He was married and had two children, ages 6 and 6 months.

“Freddy was the most down to earth person I have ever met and the best family man ever,” Max Secrest said in a Facebook post. “From growing up together to playing sports to employing him, I am at a loss of words right now.”

Hendricks County is about a 35-mile drive west of Indianapolis.

This story was originally published April 16, 2024 at 11:01 AM with the headline "Deputy electrocuted while responding to crash, Indiana cops say. ‘Our heart is broken’."