Fallen Madison Co. deputy honored with highway dedication

MADISON COUNTY, Tenn. — A fallen Madison County deputy killed in the line of duty was honored Friday in a unique way.

With the unveiling of a simple highway sign, a lasting tribute will now honor fallen Madison County Deputy Rosemary Vela.

“She was a great worker. She always had a smile on her face and was always happy,” Madison County Sheriff John Mehr said.

Law enforcement, family and friends all gathered on Highway 70 in west Madison County near the Haywood County line where the 24-year-old was killed in 2015.

She was responding to a back-up call for help when her squad car ran off the road. Sheriff Mehr says he remembers the day it happened like it was yesterday.

“You never want to lose an officer. It’s one of those things you never forget,” he said.

State Rep. Jimmy Eldridge and state Sen. Ed Jackson moved a bill through the state legislature to get a stretch of the highway named after Vela.

Her father and mother thanked the community before the unveiling.

“There’s so much love coming out of this community for her, and we can see it,” Nick Vela, Rosemary’s father, said.

The highway sign is not only a lasting memory of Rosemary Vela the community but for her family as well.

Vela also left behind her 7-year-old son, Jayden Wilkes.

“I really liked her job, because I like police officers,” he said. “I really wish she was still here to do the same job.”

Those who knew her remember Vela as an incredible woman who leaves behind loving family and friends.

“She’s gone now, and I miss her and I love her, and I always will,” Jayden said.

Rosemary Vela was born in Texas but moved to Tennessee when she was 16. She worked at the Crockett County Sheriff’s Department before transitioning to Madison County.