The Broward County Sheriff's Office deputy who died in a crash while driving to a domestic violence report in Deerfield Beach has been identified as 30-year-old Benjamin Nimtz.
BSO spokesperson Veda Coleman-Wright said the crash between the deputy and a pickup truck driver occurred at Southwest 10th Street and Military Trail at about 3 a.m. Sunday.
Nimtz is survived by his wife and two children, according to a GoFundMe page established to support his family.
The other driver was identified as 32-year-old Pembroke Pines resident Darran Joseph Johnson. Johnson's license was suspended on Thursday for failure to complete court-ordered school, based on a speeding ticket from January. It is not known if Johnson was aware his license was suspended.
"This is a devastating time for all of us," Coleman-Wright said. "Right now, we're trying to make sure that the BSO family is aware of this tragedy and take care of his family."
In a statement BSO said he and another deputy, driving separate BSO vehicles, were headed southbound when he crashed into a Toyota Tundra that was headed eastbound on Southwest 10th Street.
The deputy and the man in the Toyota Tundra were transported to Broward Health North, Coleman-Wright said. The deputy died as a result of his injuries. The pickup truck driver was stabilized in the hospital and his injuries are not considered life-threatening.
The deputy was with BSO for about a year and four months in the Deerfield Beach district, Coleman-Wright added.
"There's a whole family...the sheriff's office, our community. Everyone suffers," said Kevin Bolling, a retired deputy who showed up at the scene to pay his respects. "This guy was going to a domestic call to help someone and payed the ultimate price."
"This morning our hearts are heavy. The Broward Sheriff’s Office family is grieving the loss of a #BSO deputy who died after being involved in an on-duty crash early Sunday morning. We ask for thoughts and prayers," BSO wrote on Twitter.
Other law enforcement agencies shared condolences on social media.
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"Extending my deepest condolences to Sheriff Gregory Tony, @browardsheriff and family for the loss of the Deputy. May the Deputy Rest In Peace. #FallenHero," Miami-Dade Police Department Director Juan Perez wrote on Twitter.
"My deepest condolences are with the @browardsheriff over the tragic loss of one of their deputies this morning. We grieve alongside our brothers & sisters in blue," Miami Police Department Police Chief Jorge Colina wrote on Twitter.
"HPD extends our deepest condolences to the grieving family, friends and colleagues of the deputy," the Hollywood Police Department wrote on Twitter.
