PORT ST. LUCIE, FL – A man has been apprehended in connection to a fatal collision that resulted in the demise of a Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Trooper and a semi-truck operator. Michael Anthony Addison, 30, is alleged to have played a part in the fatal incident involving FHP Trooper Zachary Fink and a semi-truck driver, following a series of failed traffic stops by various law enforcement agencies.
Addison was taken into custody and held at the St. Lucie County Jail as of 9:21 p.m. on Friday, according to jail records. The charges he faces, brought forth by both FHP and the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, include vehicular homicide, felony homicide, driving without a license resulting in death or serious injury, and aggravated fleeing to elude causing serious injury or death. Additionally, an out-of-county warrant for aggravated battery from the Broward County Sheriff’s Office has been issued against him.
FHP Colonel Gary Howze II expressed the profound sense of loss experienced in the wake of the tragedy. He emphasized the devastating consequences of one individual’s reckless actions, which resulted in the loss of two lives, including Trooper Fink, whom he described as one of Florida’s finest heroes.
The incident began around 2:40 a.m. on Friday when a St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office (SLCSO) deputy pursued a white Kia, driven by Addison, which was exceeding the speed limit by more than double. The chase ended when the deputy’s vehicle crashed. Trooper Fink, aged 26, intervened at this point, according to a Friday news conference by the FHP.
During the conference, Lt. Indiana Miranda detailed how Addison executed a U-turn on I-95, driving in the wrong direction. Fink, attempting to halt or alert unsuspecting motorists, also made a turn but found himself in the path of an oncoming semi-truck. The truck collided with the driver’s side of Fink’s patrol car, resulting in the death of the semi-truck driver at the scene and Fink’s subsequent death at a nearby hospital due to sustained injuries.
The pursuit ended when Addison crashed his vehicle into a tree on Commerce Centre Drive and fled on foot, sparking a multi-agency manhunt. He was eventually apprehended by the Port St. Lucie Police Department.