Three Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputies were struck by an SUV, including two fatally, early Thursday morning alongside a busy West Pam Beach roadway.
The crash occurred at around 9 a.m. when the deputies were conducting traffic enforcement in the Wellington area when one of their motorcycles failed to start.
As the two others helped move the bike to a grassy shoulder and called for jumper cables, a woman lost control of her SUV while trying to avoid another car, crashing into the deputies.
Two deputies died at the hospital, while a third remains in critical condition after undergoing surgery.
“When a deputy dies, a piece of the community dies with them,” Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said.
The sheriff’s office did not release the deputies’ identities. Drug and alcohol impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash.
