LOXAHATCHEE, Fla. – Two Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office motorcycle deputies were killed and another was listed in critical condition following a crash near Loxahatchee on Thursday morning.
Authorities have identified the two fallen deputies as Corporal Luis Paez and Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller. Deputy Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, who remains in critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery Friday morning, is “fighting for his life,” PBSO officials confirmed.
11 p.m. report:
According to PBSO Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the crash occurred around 9 a.m. in the 18000 block of Southern Boulevard, just west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, near Lion Country Safari.
Bradshaw said the deputies had pulled over on the side of the road in a grassy swale waiting for battery cables when an SUV struck their motorcycles while they waited for assistance, authorities said.
5:30 p.m. report:
He also confirmed that a woman who was driving the SUV was heading eastbound in the center lane and attempted to pass a slower-moving vehicle on the right when investigators said she overcompensated, veering into the officers and “sending all three airborne in different directions.”
Deputies said preliminary findings suggest the SUV driver was not impaired. However, they did confirm that she sustained minor injuries in the crash.
Preliminary findings also suggest the vehicle was traveling near the 55 mph speed limit. “Damage is pretty consistent with that,” Bradshaw noted.
Bradshaw said that he plans on talking to the deputies’ family members over the phone and will meet them when he returns from North Carolina over the weekend.
Images from Sky 10 reveal three wrecked motorcycles scattered across Southern Boulevard, near an SUV showing apparent front-end damage.
3 p.m. report:
A Local 10 News crew was at the scene where debris, including motorcycle parts and what looks like notebooks often kept in saddle bags, was strewn across the scene. The motorcycles, estimated to weigh about 1,000 pounds each, left no visible tire marks or skid streaks on the road surface from the aerial perspective.
The crash has devastated the community, with residents mourning the loss of the deputies.
“I was overwhelmed,” said a motorcyclist. “As soon as I found out, I got off my bike, and I got down on one knee and prayed.”
Another community member also expressed heartbreak over the incident.
“It’s real sad because they were protecting and serving,” a man said.
A solemn procession of firefighters, police cruisers, motorcycles, and helicopters brought together hundreds of officers from local and neighboring agencies on Thursday afternoon. They gathered at the PBSO Headquarters to honor the two fallen officers and pray for the third.
PBSO officials said in a news release Thursday that Paez dedicated more than 36 years to law enforcement, beginning his career with PBSO in January 1988 as a corrections deputy. He later transitioned to road patrol before serving over two decades as a motor deputy, a role he embraced with passion and dedication.
They also confirmed Waller served honorably for over 18 years in the motor unit. He began his law enforcement career with the Royal Palm Beach Police Department, which merged with PBSO in October 2008, the news release stated.
Authorities said Diaz joined PBSO in 2004 and has been a valued member of the motor unit for over a decade.
5 p.m. report:
Bradshaw said the losses leave a deep scar.
“When a deputy dies, a piece of the community dies with them,” he said. “When you leave the house and kiss your family goodbye, that might be the last time, and here is the example of it. I am sure that these deputies, not in their wildest dreams thought that this was going to happen to them today.”
Rosie Cordero-Stutz, Miami Dade County’s newly elected sheriff, said, “We are with them,” after learning about the fatal crash.
Authorities said Southern Boulevard was temporarily closed west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.
The crash also impacted access to Lion Country Safari, which was temporarily closed Thursday but reopened, WPTV reported.
PBSO also released a statement on the officers involved in the crash, which you can read below:
“We are mourning the loss of our brothers who devoted their lives to serving and protecting Palm Beach County. Together, we honor their memory and support their families, friends, and colleagues during this time of immense grief. Their courage and dedication to duty will never be forgotten as we commit to continuing their legacy of service. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for D/S Diaz and his family during this incredibly difficult time.”
PBSO officials held a press conference on the incident. Local 10 viewers can watch it in the video below.
No other information about the crash was immediately released.