Names of the deputies had not been released at presstime.
The three deputies were working a traffic patrol on motorcycles when one of them had trouble starting his bike. The deputies pulled the motorcycle off into a grassy area on the side of the road and were waiting for a another sheriff’s office vehicle to arrive with jumper cables when the accident occurred.
Sheriff Bradshaw said a woman driving an SUV veered to get around a slower vehicle, left the road, “overcompensated,” and ran off the road completely, striking the deputies. All three were thrown in the air by the impact, the sheriff said.
All three injured deputies were airlifted to a local hospital. Two were pronounced dead on arrival. The third is in the ICU following surgery and is reportedly in critical but stable condition.
The sheriff said it’s not believed that the SUV driver was impaired at the time of what he called a “horrific accident.”
The SUV driver was not seriously injured.
Bradshaw said the incident will be investigated by his agency and the Florida Highway Patrol.