Two veteran Palm Beach County Sheriff’s motorcycle deputies were killed and a third was fighting for his life after they were struck by a vehicle in a “horrific accident” Thursday morning, officials said. NBC6’s Marissa Bagg reports
Two veteran Palm Beach County Sheriff's motorcycle deputies were killed and a third was fighting for his life after they were struck by a vehicle in a "horrific accident" Thursday morning, officials said.
The crash happened on State Road 80 in Loxahatchee, in western Palm Beach, while the three deputies were working traffic enforcement, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said in a news conference.
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One of the deputies couldn't get his motorcycle to start, so he called the other deputies over for help. All three were standing on the grassy shoulder, waiting for help, when an SUV coming eastbound veered off the road and struck them, Bradshaw said.
The female driver encountered a vehicle that was going much slower than she was, Bradshaw said, so she "overcompensated" and veered to the right, hitting the deputies.
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All three deputies went airborne in different directions, Bradshaw said. They were sent to the hospital, where two of them – identified as Corporal Luis Paez and Deputy Sheriff Ralph “Butch” Waller – were pronounced dead. The third, Deputy Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, was in critical but stable condition in the ICU.
The deputies were described as "very senior" employees of the department, some with 30+ years of experience and a lot of experience with motorcycles. Bradshaw said the three were also a part of President-elect Donald Trump's escort detail.
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Aerial footage from Chopper 6 showed the three damaged motorcycles on the ground next to an SUV, which also had heavy front-end damage.
The speed limit in the area is 55 mph but it's unclear how fast the woman was driving. She was the only occupant in her SUV and sustained minor injuries.
The driver did not appear to be impaired, Bradshaw said. He called it a "horrific accident."
No other information was immediately known.
