ACCIDENT KILLS VETERAN STATE TROOPER

HAYTI, Mo. -- The Missouri State Highway Patrol is mourning the loss of one of its own: Sgt. Robert A. Guilliams, who was killed early Friday when his squad car crashed in Pemiscot County.

A patrol spokesman said Guilliams, 41, of Portageville, Mo., was responding to an accident call at about 4:20 a.m. when his car struck a bridge abutment on Interstate 55, 14 miles north of the Arkansas border.

Investigators believe the car hydroplaned in heavy rain, said patrol Capt. Christian Ricks. It came to rest in a water-filled ditch.

Guilliams, a 17-year veteran of the patrol, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was the patrol's zone supervisor for Pemiscot and New Madrid counties.

Patrol investigators finished their sweep of the accident scene about 10:30 a.m. Friday. One northbound lane of I-55 four miles south of Hayti, Mo., was temporarily closed.

Sgt. Brent Davis, who worked with Guilliams for five years, said: "He was a good, strong Christian person and a good family man. He was very dedicated, very loyal, a company man."

Guilliams was tough on drunken drivers, said Davis. He had one of the top DWI arrest records in the history of the patrol.

And Guilliams was "fanatical" about wearing a seat belt, Davis said.

Missouri Gov. Bob Holden ordered flags at state facilities flown at half-staff in memory of Guilliams.

In a statement, Holden said Guilliams had performed his duty "nobly and faithfully." He planned to visit the trooper's family Friday after a stop in Cape Girardeau.

"Our courageous law enforcement officers enter this field realizing that their lives are at risk," read the statement. "Our sorrow and sense of loss are even deeper knowing that these brave men and women would accept that risk so that Missourians could be safe on our roads and in their communities."

Davis said the risks of driving fast are something troopers accept with the badge.

"The very nature of the job is you drive fast," said Davis. "We try to get there as soon as possible. You're faced with that all the time. Sometimes the worst happens. The worst happened today."

Guilliams is survived by his wife, Paula, a daughter, Ashton, 9, and a son, Justen, 9.

Visitation will be Sunday in the Portageville High School gym. The funeral will be held on Monday.

Guilliams is the 21st Missouri highway patrolman to die in the line of duty. The last fatality occurred in October 1999, when Sgt. Robert Kimberling was shot during a traffic stop near St. Joseph, Mo., north of Kansas City. The shooter, who had failed to pay for $25 worth of gasoline, committed suicide after killing Kimberling.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.