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A portion of a road in Montgomery County, Maryland’s Spencerville community was dedicated to a police officer who died three years ago to the day.

On the morning of Feb. 4, 2023, Montgomery County police officer Douglas Haggerty, 36, was involved in a single car crash on Spencerville Road near New Hampshire Avenue after suffering from a medical emergency while taking his then 9-year-old daughter to school. His daughter suffered minor injuries in the crash.

The dedication on Tuesday was a surprise to Haggerty’s parents who were overcome with emotion as the sign was unveiled.

“We really appreciate you, and my wife and I will never forget all of your love,” Mike Haggerty told those who attended the roadside dedication.

Officer Haggerty’s former partner, Sgt. Adam Al-Hakim, said he found out the dedication was going to happen last week, but the department kept it a secret from Haggerty’s parents.

“It was a great surprise to them, and it was just wonderful to see their reaction and see how happy they were,” Al-Hakim said.

Al-Hakim said the sign will also help the department heal from what was such a tremendous loss.

“We drive by here often just because it’s the area where he passed, and to have something to commemorate him and stop by and see every day, just means a lot,” Al-Hakim said.

Instead of standing in their uniforms, many officers instead dressed in jerseys for Washington’s sports teams because Haggerty was a big supporter of D.C.’s professional teams.

“A lot of the guys and me have been talking about how happy you would have been and how much you would have loved Jayden Daniels,” Al-Hakim said of Haggerty.

Haggerty’s brother-in-law, Jake Ware, said the family, without the parents knowledge, reached out to state leaders a year ago to inquire about doing this, and he said they found a lot of support for the plan. He said it means a lot to the family that it became a reality.

“This is just one more road sign along that path, one more thing to remember him by, and one more thing to help me heal and help us heal,” Ware said.

Haggerty’s father thanked the police department and others who supported them as they grieved and said the dedication helps them continue to heal.

“We really appreciate all your love, respect and help over these three years,” his father said.