PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Florida authorities are reporting that the truck driver who was killed in a collision with a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper’s car on Feb. 3 was ejected from his rig and wasn’t wearing a safety belt.
Arsenio Mas, 55, of Homestead, Florida, died at the scene, while FHP Trooper Zachary Fink was pronounced dead at an area hospital, authorities said.
According to reports, Fink was following a reckless driver who made an illegal U-turn into the opposite direction of Interstate 95 when Mas struck his patrol vehicle, causing it to spin several times as Mas’ rig flipped on its side. The force of the crash sent Mas’ body flying out of his truck and onto the highway.
The suspect, later identified as Michael Anthony Addison, 30, of Lauderdale by The Sea, initially got away and was chased by other troopers and deputies until he crashed into a tree and fled on foot.
He was captured about five hours after the initial pursuit, following an extensive manhunt, authorities said.
A St. Lucie County deputy initially tried to stop Addison because he was driving at twice the speed limit but disengaged several minutes later. Fink then picked up the pursuit, trying to stop the him out of concern he was endangering other drivers, said Col. Gary Howze, who heads the FHP.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on social media that “our hearts go out to” the trooper’s family and the FHP. Fink, 26, was a three-year highway patrol veteran, starting in Orlando before transferring to his hometown in the Port St. Lucie area. He’s survived by a fiancee and his parents, Howze said.
WPTV reporter Joel Lopez interviewed Mas’ daughter, Yeisel Más Dominguez, who lives in Cuba.
She told Lopez the whole family is devastated.
“This accident has ended my life sincerely,” Dominguez said in Spanish. “It has traumatized me.”
Dominguez, 34, said her father moved to the United States when she was 13 for a better life, according to the WPTV report.
He had four children and a partner.
Addison faces a bundle of charges.
From the Florida Highway Patrol, he faces:
- Two counts of vehicular homicide, 782.071.1a F.S.
- Two counts of felony homicide
- Driving without license causing death or serious injury
- Aggravated flee to elude with serious injury or death
- One count of felony homicide
From the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, he faces:
- One count of flee to elude police with lights/sirens activated
- Out of county warrant from Broward County Sheriff’s Office for aggravated battery
“We intend to hold the Defendant fully accountable for the lives he’s taken and the immeasurable pain he has caused. The Florida Highway Patrol, as well as the loved ones and friends of both Trooper Fink and the driver of the semi-truck, acknowledge that this is not the end of the loss suffered,” said FHP Executive Director Kerner. “Trooper Fink gave his life to hold the Defendant accountable and keeping our community safe from harm, and we will work to ensure Trooper Fink’s intent is accomplished.”
FHP Colonel Gary Howze II said that it’s “impossible to summarize the feeling of loss felt due to the reckless decisions of one individual with a complete disregard for the safety of others. This criminal chose his actions that took two people from their families and loved ones. He cost Florida one of its finest selfless heroes in Trooper Fink. With his arrest, this repeat criminal will not escape the consequences of his actions and will be held accountable.”
Born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, and raised in East Texas, John Worthen returned to his home state to attend college in 1998 and decided to make his life in The Natural State. Worthen is a 20-year veteran of the journalism industry and has covered just about every topic there is. He has a passion for writing and telling stories. He has worked as a beat reporter and bureau chief for a statewide newspaper and as managing editor of a regional newspaper in Arkansas. Additionally, Worthen has been a prolific freelance journalist for two decades, and has been published in several travel magazines and on travel websites.
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