JACKSON COUNTY — Family, friends and colleagues of slain Moss Point Police Officer Larry Dewayne Lee are among those expected to celebrate tonight the state Department of Transportation’s official announcement dedicating a section of Interstate 10 as the Larry Dewayne Lee Memorial Highway.

Lee was 42 years old when he was killed in the line of duty on Oct. 17, 2002.

Lee was standing outside his patrol car in uniform when a Chevy Blazer driven by Jonathan White, a Wiggins native, struck and killed him on the Mississippi 63 bridge overlooking the Escatawpa River. Another Moss Point police officer was chasing White when his Blazer struck Lee, throwing him more than 200 feet to his death.

White was convicted and is serving a life sentence.

“Larry was a good officer, and he loved what he did,” said Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd, who was among those at the scene of the deadly crash. “This is very deserving and long overdue.”

Having lost his own son, Pascagoula Police Officer Terry Micheal Byrd in a crash on his police motorcycle, Byrd said there is no better recognition a fallen officer could have than to be remembered by motorists traveling the roads they once patrolled.

“Larry was the kind of person who was very worthy of wearing a badge and being a public servant,” Byrd said.

Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown said the public is invited to attend tonight’s dedication ceremony at 6 p.m. at Pelican Landing in Moss Point.

The new designation came to fruition once state legislators approved a bill allowing the highway designation.

A lifelong resident of Pascagoula, Lee joined the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department Reserve in 1988 and stayed there until 1996, when he joined the Moss Point Police Department.

“This recognition for Officer Lee’s service to his community is most appropriate for his family and for the people of Jackson County,” Brown said. “This memorial will remind all those who travel in this area that Officer Larry DeWayne Lee, while performing a job he loved, gave the ultimate sacrifice.”