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Truck Safety Coalition prepared to help family of killed trucker

FHP hasn't released name of victim
Posted at 11:01 PM, Feb 06, 2024
and last updated 2024-02-06 23:51:50-05

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Truck Safety Coalition is offering to provide assistance to the family of the truck driver who died in a crash Friday that also killed a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper.

But the name hasn't been released by FHP "out of respect to his family." The trooper has been identified as Zachary Fink

"Our hearts go out to both the trooper and the truck driver who are involved in this just awful crash," Zach Cahalan, the executive director for the Truck Safety Coalition, said.
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 Zach Cahalan is executive director for the Truck Safety Coalition. Feb. 6, 2024
Zach Cahalan is Executive director for the Truck Safety Coalition.

According to its website, the TSC is "dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by truck-related crashes, providing compassionate support to truck crash survivors and families of truck crash victims, and educating the public, policy-makers, and media about truck safety issues."

"Have you been able to find the family of the truck driver?" WPTV reporter Joel Lopez asked.
 
"No, so anything you can do to help, we're here, we want to help victims," Cahalan said.

The organization has been around for 30 years and said it helps upwards of 600 families a year nationwide and wants the family to reach out to them.

Cahalan said the coalition helps those left behind with grief counseling, individual therapy and advocacy.

"If the family is watching tonight what's your message to them on what you can do to help?" Lopez asked.
 
"We have, like I said, a whole community of people who have been through this, maybe not this exact situation but that they know what it's like," Cahalan said.

WPTV has reached out to FHP, the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office and the Medical Examiner's Office but are waiting for answers.

If you have any information on who the truck driver may have been, please reach out to WPTV at newstips@wptv.com