PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — WPTV has received many messages from viewers asking for more information on the truck driver who was killed last Friday in a crash that took the life of Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Zachary Fink.
Based on email correspondence WPTV received from FHP Tuesday, the agency said it would not be releasing the name of the truck driver. It said it would release the age and the town where the man was from, but not his name out of respect to his family.
Port St Lucie
Truck Safety Coalition prepared to help family of killed trucker
This is despite December’s ruling by the Florida Supreme Court that Marsy’s law “does not secure a victim’s right to unanimity.”
Marsy’s Law was passed as a constitutional amendment in 2018 designed to protect crime victims’ privacy.
The truck driver was killed in a collision with Fink’s vehicle.
Fink had been pursuing a felon on Interstate 95 in St. Lucie County early Friday.
FHP added they would not be providing any more updates on the case as the subject of the pursuit, Michael Addison of Broward County, has been charged accordingly, but added that this is still an open criminal investigation.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office on Monday released an arrest report on chasing the suspect before and after the crash. FHP hasn't released its crash report.
FHP did provide new information on a fatal crash that happened in the same area just a few hours after the first crash on the interstate.
A 74-year-old man from Jupiter was heading north on the outside lane of the interstate right by the Gatlin Boulevard exit around 6:30 a.m. when for some reason, that driver failed to slow down and struck a stopped tractor trailer.
The driver of the tractor trailer was unhurt, as was the driver of a third vehicle that was hit by debris from the collision.
The Jupiter man was pronounced dead on the scene. His name has not been released pending notification of next of kin.