What happened to Zachary Fink? Tributes pour in as Florida Highway Patrol trooper killed in line of duty

On February 2, 2024, 26-year-old Zachary Fink, a Florida Highway Patrol trooper, was killed in the line of duty during an overnight pursuit of a fleeing felon on the interstate in Port St. Lucie.

ABC News reported that during the vehicle pursuit to detain the felon, Zachary crashed into an 18-wheeler semi-truck driver. Both the Florida Highway Patrol trooper and the truck driver succumbed to their injuries and passed away.

Following the death of the Florida Highway Patrol trooper in the line of duty, tributes pour in and posts honoring Zachary Fink's life and service have flooded social media.

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A suspect was arrested in the crash that caused Zachary Fink's death

Officer Down Memorial Page, which honors law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in the United States, reported that on February 2, 2024, at 3:00 a.m., Trooper Zachary Fink died in a car crash during the pursuit on Interstate 95 North at Crosstown Parkway near Port St. Lucie.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, at 2:40 a.m., the fleeing felon was speeding and recklessly driving on Interstate 95 when deputies from St. Lucie tried to conduct a traffic stop.

Other agencies joined the pursuit as the subject continued driving and took a U-turn on Interstate 95, driving southbound in the northbound lanes on I-95. The deceased trooper followed and took a U-turn to stop the vehicle when he suffered a collision with the semi-tractor trailer.

ABC News reported that after taking the turn, the suspect continued on the wrong path, eventually crashed his car into a tree, and escaped the scene on foot.

Officer Down Memorial Page stated that the pursuit continued and the suspect, who remains unidentified, was apprehended at 8:06 a.m. Trooper Zachary Fink was taken to HCA Lawnwood Hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead.

TC Palm reported that on February 2, 2024, at around 2:45 p.m., Interstate 95 reopened. The northbound lanes from Southwest Becker Road to Southwest St. Lucie West Boulevard and the southbound lanes from Okeechobee Road to Southwest Gatlin Boulevard have been shut down since early morning for the investigation.

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Zachary Fink regarded as a "hero who died while helping people"

TC Palm reported that while addressing the press, along with about 30 law enforcement officers from state and local agencies at Christ Fellowship Church in Port St. Lucie, the executive director of the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, Dave Kerner, said:

"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."

According to the report by TC Palm, Dave Kerner said:

"Trooper Fink is a hero who died while helping people, something he was passionate about since the age of 6. This dedication and love for helping others defines FHP, and the FHP family honors his service and pray for everyone who lost a loved one today."

The report by TC Palm stated that Florida Highway Patrol Colonel Gary Howze II said:

"Trooper Fink died a hero protecting and serving his community. … We appreciate Trooper Fink’s sacrifice and know that the people of Florida are safer because of his commitment to keeping them safe."

On the morning of February 2, 2024, at about 10 a.m., state and local law enforcement assembled at the hospital, and a Florida Highway Patrol honor guard escorted the ambulance carrying the deceased trooper's body from Lawnwood to the medical examiner.

ABC News reported that Zachary Fink was a three-year veteran of the highway patrol and is survived by his fiancée, father, and stepmother.