Florida deputy ‘fighting for his life’ following crash that killed 2 colleagues

A Florida deputy is “fighting for his life” Friday after being seriously injured in a “horrific crash” that claimed the lives of two of his colleagues, officials said.

Deputy Ignacio Diaz of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was struck Thursday on the shoulder of Southern Boulevard by a female driver who was trying to pass a car on her right, according to Sheriff Ric Bradshaw. Diaz, and Cpl. Luis Paez and Sheriff’s Deputy Ralph Waller, were in charge of traffic enforcement in the area.

“He overcompensated, he went down the road and hit all three officers, at which point all three flew in different directions,” Bradshaw said.

“I hope he makes it,” Bradshaw said of Diaz. “This is a serious accident. We are investigating in conjunction with the Florida Highway Patrol.”

FLORIDA SHERIFF HAUNTS MAJOR MEMBERSHIP OF ALLEGED FRAUD KINGDOM

Bradshaw said the accident happened after one of the officers made a traffic stop, and the motorcycle could not be started, thinking it had a dead battery.

“So he called two others to help him move the bike off the road. All three were in the grass on the shoulder of the road, and they were going to wait for another PBSO vehicle to come with the battery cables,” he continued.

The female driver, who did not appear to be impaired and was traveling at a speed of 55 mph, suffered minor injuries in the crash, the official said.

Paez and Waller were airlifted to a hospital, where they “worked as long as they could,” but were “severely injured,” according to Bradshaw.

2 KENTUCKY POLICE OFFICER SHOTED DURING VEHICLE STOP REPORTED STOLEN.

“Law enforcement, public safety and the military are the only jobs where you leave the house and say goodbye to your family, that may be the last time, this is an example of that,” Bradshaw said. “When a deputy dies, a piece of society dies as well. It’s difficult.”

The sheriff, who also called the crash “horrific,” said Diaz underwent surgery and is now in critical but stable condition in the ICU of a local hospital.

“This is our hero, Deputy Ignacio ‘Dan’ Diaz, who is currently fighting for his life. Deputy Diaz joined PBSO in 2004 and has been a valuable member of the Motor Unit for over 10 years. We ask for your thoughts and prayers for him and his family during this an incredibly difficult time,” the sheriff’s office wrote on its Facebook page.

“Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the loss of our brothers, honor their memory, and support their families at this difficult time,” it added in the post announcing the deaths of Paez and Waller.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Motorcycles.

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEWS PROGRAM

As of Friday, no charges appear to have been filed following the accident. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.