Florida deputy, former Charles City resident, dies from injuries in on-duty crash

Press Staff Report

An on-duty Florida sheriff’s deputy who was a native of Charles City has died after suffering fatal injuries in a collision Sunday.

Ben Zirbel, a 12-year Clay County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office veteran, was injured when his police motorcycle struck a trailer being pulled by a truck that turned in front of him, said a Sheriff’s Office spokesman.

Zirbel is the son of Jim Zirbel of Charles City, a former Charles City police chief. Ben Zirbel and his wife, Anna, are both graduates of Charles City High School. Anna is the daughter of Rick McDonald, owner of Jackson Street Press in Charles City.

Ben and Anna Zirbel have an 8-year-old son.

Both the Charles City Police Department and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office expressed their sadness at the news and their support for the family on their Facebook pages.

Anna Zirbel said Wednesday her husband was an organ donor and up to seven lives may be saved through his donation. His tissues could help as many as 100 people.

“Ben’s passion in life was to help people, which is why he became a sheriff’s deputy,” Anna Zirbel said at a press conference in Florida. “Even now in this moment of our most painful grief, I’m happy to say that Ben is still helping people.

“We never know what’s coming next in life, so don’t take a single day for granted,” she said.

“If there’s one message to come from this, I wish everyone would become a registered organ donor,” Anna said.

Zirbel, 40, of Middleburg, Florida, was a member of the Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit. An office spokesman said Zirbel was riding his Sheriff’s Office motorcycle during his regular work shift when the crash happened shortly before 11 a.m. Sunday.

Zirbel was southbound in the center lane when a Dodge pickup towing a trailer north on the road made a left turn in front of Zirbel at an intersection. Another vehicle was also caught up in the collision.

The pickup driver failed to yield the right-of-way, the Sheriff’s Office spokesman said.

“The officer took evasive action but unfortunately struck the back of that trailer.”

The front of Zirbel’s 2015 BMW police motorcycle hit the right side of the trailer. After the impact, the motorcycle overturned, ejecting Zirbel onto the pavement.

Zirbel previously served as the on-site deputy at Lakeside Junior High School in Orange Park.

The Sheriff’s Office reported is has been inundated with messages of prayer and support from residents as well as law enforcement agencies statewide in the wake of the crash.

— Information for this story includes reporting by Teresa Stepzinski of the Florida Times-Union, used with permission. The website is www.ocala.com.