Florida Automobile Accident Kills Police Officer
A memorial service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Juno Beach Town Center for Juno Beach Police Officer Tiffany Renee Russell, 24, who died early Sunday in a single-car accident on Southwest Citrus Boulevard, 2 ½ miles north of Boat Ramp Road in Palm City.
The driver of the car, Lynda Kruse, 23, of Stuart, also died of injuries in the accident.
Juno Beach Police Chief Dennis Weiner said the memorial is limited to family, friends, the Juno Beach community and local law enforcement.
Kruse was driving a 2003 Mini Cooper north on Southwest Citrus Boulevard when she failed to navigate a curve, according to the Florida Highway Patrol report. The car went off the road and flipped several times, ejecting the two women, the report stated.
Spokesman Lt. Tim Frith said a Martin County sheriff’s deputy found the overturned car and the women in an off-road wooded area at about 6 a.m. Both women died at the scene after the 2:45 a.m. crash.
Ann Gent, a Juno Beach police dispatcher, said all officers from the small department were being notified of Russell’s death. “Everybody’s close to everybody, and it’s going to impact the department,” Gent said.
Russell had been working there for about 1½ years, the department’s press release stated.
“In that short time she had become a valued part of our community, a dedicated officer and a great friend to all of us here,” the release stated.
A fund has been set up for Russell’s 2-year-old daughter, Hailey Troutman, at SunTrust Bank. It is open for anyone to make a deposit in memory of Russell for the future care of her daughter. The account title is Hailey Troutman AMB Chad Troutman, account number 1000082209049.
The FHP report said neither Kruse nor Russell were wearing a seatbelt. The accident is under investigation.
News Source: TCPalm
