The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol are investigating the death of a motorcycle officer who was reportedly struck by a pickup truck while working a “rolling roadblock” for a presidential motorcade in West Palm BeachSunday, Sept. 9.
The PBSO report says that about 4:44 p.m., Jupiter Police Officer Bruce St. Laurent, 55, was southbound on I-95 with emergency lights activated, as part of the motorcade for President Barack Obama, who made a campaign stop at the Palm Beach Convention Center.
Officer St. Laurent moved his motorcycle at an angle toward the right, crossed several lanes of traffic and entered the southbound on-ramp from 45th Street in an effort to stop traffic from entering I-95.
The report says Officer St. Laurent moved into the path of a 1994 Ford F-150 pickup truck driven by Susan Holloway, 56, of West Palm Beach.
PBSO said she was attempting to accelerate to a safe speed to merge with southbound traffic on I-95. The front of Holloway’s vehicle impacted with Officer St. Laurent’s motorcycle. PBSO said he was ejected and was caught underneath Holloway’s truck as the two vehicles slid to a stop.
PBSO said Holloway attempted to avoid the crash by making a heavy brake application.