WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – Officials released the name of a South Florida police officer who was killed after crashing his patrol car while off duty early Friday morning.
On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the West Palm Beach Police Department said Sgt. Fernando DeSouza died after crashing his cruiser at Hypoluxo and Lawrence roads in Boynton Beach.
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DeSouza, 44, had been a West Palm Beach officer for 16 years.
“This is very tragic news and a tremendous loss for Fernando’s family and his West Palm Beach police family,” WPBPD Chief Frank Adderley said in a news release Wednesday. “I have been with his family and there are no words to describe the grief and sorrow they are experiencing. We are all deeply saddened and continue to pray for him, his family, friends, and colleagues during this very difficult time.”
DeSouza, a Purple Heart recipient who served in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, served as a patrol officer for the agency and was survived by a son and two daughters, police said.
Boynton Beach police were investigating the single-car crash as of Wednesday evening.