Friends and family honor the lives of two fallen Palm Beach County sheriffs deputies

November 22, 2024 • Clark Kent

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Two Palm Beach County deputies died and a third is in critical condition after they were hit by an SUV driven by a woman who had veered off the side of the road Thursday morning near Loxahatchee.The deputies, who have a combined 64 years of service with PBSO, mainly in the motorcycle unit, were handling traffic enforcement in western part of the county, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said.Sheriff’s Rick Bradshaw called it “horrific accident.”The crash occurred at 9:29 a.m. at 18000 Southern Boulevard, just west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, near Lion Country Safari. They were were struck by the SUV that had unintentionally gone off the side of the road, PBSO and Florida Highway Patrol, the lead investigating agency, said.All three deputies were taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach via Trauma Hawks where the two were pronounced dead.Bradshaw said the injured deputy underwent surgery, and is in critical but stable condition in the intensive car unit.He said he saw all three deputies at his party on Nov. 5 celebrating being elected to his fifth term as sheriff. “I tell people all the time, law enforcement, public safety and military, when they kiss their family goodbye, it might be the might last time,” Bradshaw said. “I’m sure deputies not in wildest dreams thought this would happen.””When deputies die, a piece of community dies with them.”Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller, who died and was born in 1970, “has been a valued member of our motor unit” for 18 years, having started his law enforcement career with the Royal Palm Beach Police Department before it merged with PBSO in October 2008.Deputy Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, who was injured and was born in 1973, joined PBSO in 2004. He worked in the motor unit for over 10 years. “We ask for your thoughts and prayers for D/S Diaz and his family during this incredibly difficult time,” Barbera wrote.Bradshaw described to media what led up to the crash.They were working traffic enforcement, clocking cars that were going eastbound on Southern.One of the motorcyclists was on the side with a dead battery and the two others came over to assist. They were waiting for a PBSO vehicle to get a battery jumper while on the grassy area of the shoulder.A woman in her 30s from Pennsylvania was driving a gray 2019 Jeep SUV eastbound within the center lane when she is believed to have encountered a slower vehicle in the center lane and “she abruptly veered to the right toward the southern shoulder,” Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Indiana Miranda wrote in a news release after Bradshaw’s news conference.The SUV first collided with the metal guardrail, rotated and struck the deputies, who were standing. They vaulted on the asphalt or into the grass area between the shoulder and guard rail, Miranda said. They came to a rest outside the guard rail.”One of those things,” Bradshaw said. “You overcompensate. Tires get on the edge of the road.”Bradshaw said the driver was going the speed limit which is 55 mph. She suffered minor injuries, according to Bradshaw, who added she doesn’t believe she was impaired.FHP is the lead agency investigating the crash.At 1:45 p.m., a motorcycle escort of law enforcement personnel from several agencies took the deputies’ bodies in ambulances from the hospital to the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office.Catch the Quickcast with Najahe Sherman weekdays at 4PM ET streaming on the CBS Miami app and CBSMiami.com#florida #miami #miamidade #localnews #local #community #politicalnews

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