Third PBSO motorcyclist deputy dies from injuries suffered in SUV crash

Deputy Ignacio “Dan” Diaz received treatment at St. Mary’s Medical Center after a crash Thursday west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.

(This story has been updated to add new information)

WELLINGTON – Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office third deputy was involved in a road accident near Loxahatchee, died last week, the agency said.

According to a statement released by the agency, Deputy Ignacio “Dan” Diaz died of his injuries shortly before 12:45 a.m. on Monday, November 25. Diaz was one of three PBSO officers responding to a traffic accident the morning of Nov. 21 on Southern Boulevard west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road.

PBSO Cpl. Luis Paez and Deputy Ralph “Butch” Waller died shortly after being airlifted to St. Mary’s Medical Center on the day of the crash.

The deputies suffered serious injuries as they stood on the shoulder of Southern with their PBSO motorcycle locked and waiting for a fourth PBSO deputy to bring them jumper cables. The SUV, attempting to avoid a car that had slowed in traffic, swerved off the center lane to avoid a collision, but struck the officers.

Paez, Waller and Diaz were working as law enforcement officers at Southern when one of them had trouble restarting his motorcycle, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said during a news conference Thursday. Speaking on Monday after Diaz’s death, Bradshaw said there would be a public memorial for all three deputies on Dec. 3 at the iThink Financial Amphitheater near the South Florida Fairground.

Online obituaries for Paez and Waller indicate that there will be a public memorial at the fairgrounds at 10 a.m. on December 3.

During Monday’s news conference, Bradshaw said he returned to South Florida on Sunday from a trip to North Carolina and had the opportunity to meet with the deputies’ families that evening. He described the fatal crash as a tragic accident and said the officers had their backs to the road when they were hit.

“They never saw this coming,” he said. “They never had a chance to dodge any. They never had a chance to try to save themselves. They had their backs turned to the vehicle that ultimately took their lives.”

The Florida Highway Patrol said a 31-year-old Pennsylvania woman was driving a 2019 Jeep SUV, which struck officers. A spokesman for FHP, which will lead the investigation, said it would take about 90 to 120 days to review the crash. Bradshaw said the driver is cooperating with the investigation.

Diaz joined PBSO in 2004 and has been a member of the automotive team for the past 10 years. Paez worked at the agency for 36 years, including the last 20 years as a member of the motor unit. Waller was a member of the PBSO for 18 years when the agency merged with the Royal Palm Beach Police Department.

Eight MPs in the history of PBSO have died as a result of being hit by vehicles while on duty. Thanksgiving marks the 17th anniversary of the last such incident before the Nov. 21 crash, when Rep. Donta Manuel and Jonathan Wallace died while trying to stop a speeding driver in Glades.

On November 28, 2007, several deputies were pursuing a carjacking suspect on State Route 715 near the Pahokee airport when Wallace and Manuel installed stop-stick tire deflation devices designed to slow or stop the driver. Deputies were struck as they attempted to remove the devices.

Last week’s crash has become a reason for law enforcement agencies and the general public to pay tribute to the fallen deputies. The Honor Network announced that an honorary United States flag will be sent from Anchorage, Alaska, to South Florida in honor of the members.

The flag was first flown during the rescue operation at Ground Zero in New York following the attacks of September 11, 2001. Since then, the flag has traveled millions of miles, honoring soldiers, law enforcement officers, firefighters and other first responders.

Julius Whigham II is a criminal justice and public safety reporter for The Palm Beach Post. He can be contacted at [email protected] and follow him on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Sign up today.