2 Fla. Motorcycle Deputies Killed, Another Critically Injured in SUV Crash
(Editor's note: The two Palm Beach County sheriff's deputies who died in the crash have been identified as Cpl. Luis Paez and Deputy Ralph "Butch" Waller.)
By Shira Moolten and Angie DiMichele
Source South Florida Sun-Sentinel
LOXAHATCHEE, FL — Two veteran Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office motorcycle deputies died and one is fighting for his life after an SUV inadvertently crashed into them in the shoulder of Southern Boulevard Thursday morning, officials say.
The deputies were riding their department-issued motorcycles in the eastbound lanes of the road about 9 a.m., Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told reporters over Zoom at an afternoon news conference. One of the deputies had stopped his motorcycle to talk to a driver, and found that he could not get it to start again.
He called over the two other deputies, and the three moved into the grassy shoulder, where they waited for another deputy to come with battery cables, Bradshaw said.
“They felt safe because they were off the roadway,” he added, putting their attention on helping the deputy get his bike started.
But they were not safe. About that time, a woman was driving an SUV in the center lane. She ended up behind a vehicle that was going much slower, and to get around it, she swerved to the right, the same direction as the shoulder. But instead of simply changing lanes, she “overcompensated,” Bradshaw said, and drove off the road, striking all three of the deputies, who went flying.
Bradshaw and others emphasized Thursday how law enforcement is one of the only professions where people go to work each morning thinking it might be the last time. Yet it was a seemingly random accident that took their lives, authorities say, not an encounter with a dangerous criminal or a high-speed chase.
“It just looks like one of those things where she overcompensated and got off the road,” Bradshaw said.
He didn’t know how fast the woman was going, but said the speed limit was 55, consistent with the damage done. There are currently no criminal charges pending for the driver, who has only minor injuries, but Bradshaw said it would be an “extensive” investigation, with PBSO working with the Florida Highway Patrol.
Paramedics took all three of the deputies to St. Mary’s Medical Center Thursday morning, where two were pronounced dead. At the hospital, many first responders gathered. Outside, a deputy hugged a woman who had arrived.
The third deputy is now in the ICU, in critical but stable condition, Bradshaw said.
“Hopefully he’s gonna make it,” he said, “but it’s a bad crash.”
Footage from the scene shows the smashed motorcycles near the shoulder and right-most lane of the road, which is littered with debris. The front of the SUV is destroyed.
Bradshaw was at his home in North Carolina when the crash took place, taking a break after winning his reelection earlier this month. He held the news conference over Zoom, but said he would be back in South Florida by the weekend, when he plans to meet with the families of the deputies. He also planned to call the families later Thursday.
PBSO has not yet publicly identified the deputies, but planned to do so later Thursday, Bradshaw said.
All three were longtime and “very experienced” veterans, said Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Col. Bob Allen, some with over 30 years in law enforcement.
Asked about taking steps to prevent other accidents like this, Allen said PBSO does that after anything that goes wrong and cited Florida’s Move Over law, which requires people to switch lanes or slow down when passing stopped law enforcement or other official vehicles.
But “there’s no perfect way to do our jobs,” he added. “There’s no perfect way to do it.”
Earlier in the day, a procession of law enforcement vehicles from throughout South Florida and surrounding counties brought the two deputies’ bodies from St. Mary’s to PBSO headquarters in West Palm Beach, where the county medical examiner is also located. As they passed, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper tipped his hat in salute. Other officers on roadsides, and civilians along the route, saluted or held their hands over their hearts.
It is not the first time two Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies were killed in a single crash.
In 2007, two PBSO deputies were killed when another cruiser accidentally hit them while they were removing tire-deflating spikes from the road after a chase. Bradshaw was also sheriff at the time.
Southern Boulevard was closed to traffic west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road throughout the day Thursday.
Schools in the area of the crash may see “significant traffic congestion” during dismissal due to the road closure, the Palm Beach County School District said in a media release. The district urged parents or guardians throughout the district to pick up their kids rather than have them take the bus home as buses across the county may be delayed.
“We anticipate a significant delay this afternoon for all bus riders who live in or near the Arden/Deer Run communities and for students who ride buses that travel near this area. All schools in the area may experience longer dismissals and increased traffic,” the district said.
State officials took to social media to share messages of support for PBSO Thursday.
“Just spoke to Sheriff @RicBradshaw to let him know Ann and I are praying for the @PBCountySheriff team, the families of those who lost their lives and those who were injured,” Sen. Rick Scott said in a statement on X. “Our brave men and women in uniform willingly put their lives on the line every day to keep us safe, but devastating news like this never ceases to catch us off guard.”
“Praying for Sheriff @RicBradshaw and the entire @PBCountySheriff law enforcement family after learning about a critical incident involving three PBSO deputies,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody.
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