Trooper Zachary Fink dies in crash in Port St. Lucie on I-95 while pursuing felon

PORT ST. LUCIE − During an overnight pursuit of a felon fleeing on Interstate 95, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper and the driver of a semi-truck were killed, according to Florida Highway Patrol officials.

Trooper Zachary Fink, 26, died early Friday while pursuing a white Kia on the northbound lanes of I-95, when the driver entered the southbound lanes and began traveling the wrong way on the highway.

Dave Kerner, the executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, called it a tragic day for law enforcement.

“It is a very sad and difficult day in the state of Florida, in this community, for the profession of law enforcement, and for the Florida Highway Patrol, in particular,” he said while addressing the media, surrounded by about 30 law enforcement officers from state and local agencies at Christ Fellowship Church in Port St. Lucie.

End of Watch: Who was Trooper Zachary Fink?

Too Many: Trooper Fink is 17th law enforcement officer to die in the line of duty on Treasure Coast

Interstate 95 reopened about 2:45 p.m. Friday. The northbound lanes from Southwest Becker Road to Southwest St. Lucie West Boulevard and southbound from Okeechobee Road to Southwest Gatlin Boulevard had been closed since early morning for the investigation.

Kerner called Fink a “hero” who died in the line of duty.

“It's a horrific outcome and it's one that hurts us dearly,” he said, adding that Fink is the 53^rd trooper to die in the line of duty in the agency’s history.

“As his stepmother relayed to me that since he was 6 years old, all he ever wanted to do was help people … it was the very essence of helping people he was in the act of pursuit of a felon,” Kerner said. “He was protecting his community from harm. And he gave his life and sacrifice for the protection of the ones that he loves and people that he didn't even know.”

“This will mark the 53rd state trooper that we've lost in the line of duty," he added. "We honor his service. We pray for all the families who have lost loved ones today."

How did the fatal crash happen?

FHP Col. Gary Howze II, described the events that began at 2:40 a.m. when a St. Lucie County sheriff's deputy made contact with a white Kia driven by an unidentified man on West Midway Road.

“The vehicle is driving reckless, at least twice the legal speed limit. A deputy attempted to do a traffic stop and as she approached, the vehicle took off,” Howze said. “A short pursuit ensued, after which the deputy sheriff disengaged.”

The driver continued fleeing and 8 minutes later at 2:48 a.m., Trooper Fink saw the Kia and observed the vehicle exceeding the speed limit heading southbound on I-95.

“We don't know that he had any idea that it was related to the earlier incident,” Howze said.

Fink then attempted to stop the Kia.

“The suspect refused to stop and a pursuit ensued,” he said.

While Fink was behind the vehicle, he saw the Kia attempt to enter onto the southbound lanes of Interstate 95, just south of Crosstown Parkway.

“As the white Kia entered those southbound lanes, the driver made an abrupt turn to travel the wrong direction on Interstate 95,” Howze said.

Trooper Fink continued trying to apprehend the man, and “turned also with the vehicle, and unfortunately turned into the immediate path of a semi tractor trailer, which struck the left driver side of his patrol car.”

The crash was at mile marker 120 at approximately 2:57 a.m.

Howze said the truck driver, who was not identified, died at the scene.

Trooper Fink was transported to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital where he died of his injuries.

The driver of the white Kia continued driving the wrong direction on the interstate, Howze said, as multiple deputies and state troopers joined the chase.

“As the vehicle fled, it was eventually involved in a crash. It struck a tree and ran off the road,” Howze said. “The suspect fled on foot after which a manhunt ensued.”

The driver was apprehended about 2 miles from where Trooper Fink crashed.

A man was detained in the area of Commerce Centre and Brandywine Lane, said Domenic Mesiti, Port St. Lucie police spokesman.

Acting Port St. Lucie Police Chief De Toro also recognized Fink and his service, and their FHP colleagues.

“On behalf of Mayor (Shannon) Martin our city council and our entire family at the city of Port St. Lucie, want to offer our deepest condolences to our family at the Florida Highway Patrol and to also the Fink family,” he said. “I'm very proud and thankful today for our officers, deputies and from all the agencies that responded in the collective efforts they did.”

Del Toro praised the actions of the law enforcement officers who pursued the suspect.

“It was the absolute definition of teamwork. It was a massive, massive manhunt this morning, it lasted over four hours,” he said. “And we were able to bring this suspect into custody who is very dangerous to this community, as evidenced by the crash that happened in the ensuing crash that happened after that.”

What happened in an earlier unrelated fatal crash?

Before the manhunt was completed, another crash happened on I-95 that was unrelate.

In all, three people died in the two crashes, FHP officials said.

FHP Lt. Indiana Miranda said at 6:35 a.m., a second fatal crash involving three vehicles happened in the northbound lanes of I-95 about 3,000 feet from the Gatlinburg Boulevard exit in Port St. Lucie.

In that incident, a 2009 Toyota Venza station wagon driven by a 74-year-old Jupiter man rear ended a 2009 Freightliner Cascadia tractor trailer with a flatbed trailer in the tow, driven by a 59-year-old man from Miami.

The tractor trailer was stopped in traffic ahead when the Toyota Venza “failed to stop in time and rear-ended the tractor trailer,” Miranda said Friday.

The impact caused the tractor trailer to rotate counterclockwise and as a result, debris of that vehicle and the tractor trailer collided with a 2021 Mazda minivan, driven by a 35-year-old man from Port St. Lucie.

The driver of the Toyota Venza died at the scene, she said.

No injuries were reported for the drivers of the tractor trailer and Mazda minivan, according to Miranda.

Honoring Trooper Zachary Fink

Fink was a three-year veteran of the FHP in the St. Lucie County area. His parents live in the area. He was engaged to be married.

Early Friday morning, around 7:30 a.m., law enforcement officers from around the region began to arrive at the hospital in response to the death in the line of duty.

Dozens of state and local officers, troopers and other officials congregated near the hospital’s ambulance entrance until 10:05 a.m. when an FHP honor guard escorted Fink’s body into a St. Lucie County Fire District ambulance.

Led by five motorcycle officers and flanked by four, the ambulance then pulled away from the hospital and turned left onto Nebraska Avenue. A procession of more than 40 law enforcement vehicles with flashing lights followed the ambulance as it left the hospital campus towards South 25^th Street and ultimately to the medial examiner's office.

TCPalm reporter Wicker Perlis contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: FHP trooper Zachary Fink killed in crash in Port St. Lucie, Florida