Traffic cop dies in line of duty

Following heavy snow on Feb 5, Da Deming, an auxiliary traffic police officer in Qinghai province, and his colleagues were worried that snow and ice might pose a hazard to road safety as they patrolled the section of highway for which they were responsible.

As he was setting up safety warnings and applying spray to melt the snow, Da was struck by an out-of-control vehicle and suffered head injuries.

Rushed to hospital, the 37-year-old was diagnosed with an intracranial hemorrhage. He was declared dead 37 hours later, when efforts to save him failed.

After joining the police in 2012, Da worked as an auxiliary police officer in Xining, the capital of Qinghai province. Over the past decade, he had assisted in over 3,000 traffic violations, 600 accidents and helped recover more than 100,000 yuan ($15,700) in lost property. He had a clean record of complaint.

Da dreamed of being a police officer since he was a child, and although he never rose above the rank of auxiliary officer, he was content and hoped that his daughter would join the force when she was older.

Da's wife Su Falian, said that this Feb 8 marked their 10th wedding anniversary. As he left home on Feb 5, her late husband had said they would take a family photo and have a meal to celebrate. Due to his accident, this was not to be.