Hawk Point Police Chief and Warren County deputy Paul Fricke was killed Friday morning in a single-car accident while on duty. An investigation by the Missouri State Highway Patrol is ongoing into what caused Fricke, 37, of Troy, to lose control of the police cruiser he was driving. Fricke was traveling southbound on Highway 47 inside the city limits when he traveled off the right side of the roadway. He overcorrected, causing the vehicle to skid and travel off the left side of the roadway where it struck a utility pole, according to preliminary reports. The crash happened at 10:08 a.m. Fricke, who was not wearing a seat belt according to the patrol's crash report, was pronounced dead at the scene by Lincoln County Coroner Robert Shramek at 10:21 a.m. It remains unclear if Fricke was responding to a call or was involved in a pursuit at the time of the crash. Fricke's death has left deputies with the Warren County Sheriff's Department and others mourning his loss. He had been employed as a deputy for five years and worked his way up to corporal in the department's patrol division. During that period, he also worked part time in Hawk Point as the police chief of the small Lincoln County community. Parked in front of the courthouse draped by a black sheet, several items of remembrance have been left on Fricke's county police car. Gov. Jay Nixon ordered all U.S. and Missouri flags to be flown half-staff on Tuesday at all state government buildings in Warren and Lincoln counties. The Highway Patrol also provided police protection Tuesday to allow all Warren County deputies to attend Fricke's funeral. Sheriff Kevin Harrison said Fricke was someone you could depend on in any situation. "Paul was the guy, whether the situation was serious or tragic, he was the guy who had that dry sense of humor, almost sarcastic," Harrison said. "He did everything with humor. You never knew what he was going to say. He dealt with pressure situations with humor. It was hard not to crack a smile or laugh." Cpl. Jeff Wilson of the highway patrol said speed was a "contributing factor" and said an initial report indicated Fricke was driving "too fast for the conditions." The speed limit in the stretch where Fricke wrecked is 55 mph. Wilson also added that official cause for the crash may never be known. "There were hardly any witnesses that saw it," Wilson said. Wright City Fire Chief Ron MacKnight, who responded to Friday's crash and had met Fricke at different accident scenes, said he will remember Fricke as "being very professional, very laid-back." "He would do whatever was needed," MacKnight added. "He had a good humor." Visitation and funeral services were held Tuesday. Burial with full military honors followed at Asbury United Methodist Church in Foley. Fricke grew up in Troy until moving to North Carolina where he graduated from high school and then joined the U.S. Air Force. He later moved back to the area and graduated in 2005 from the Eastern Missouri Law Enforcement Training Academy. Fricke is survived by his fiancee Windy Ray and her two children; his mother, Deanna Fricke; four stepchildren; and three brothers. Memorials are requested to be made to The BackStoppers or to Asbury United Methodist Church in care of the McCoy-Blossom Funeral Home, 1304 Boone St., Troy, MO 63379.