A police motorcyclist assisting with President Obama’s motorcade was killed Sunday following a traffic accident, the White House and police reported.
Officer Bruce St. Laurent of the Jupiter Florida police department was transported to a West Palm Beach hospital around 4:40 p.m. in critical condition, but he later died.
St. Laurent was traveling on I-95 through West Palm Beach at the head of the motorcade in order to shut down the roadway. He was hit head-on by an oncoming pick-up truck.
No other vehicles from the President’s motorcade were involved. President Obama was traveling to a campaign stop at the time of the accident, but didn’t hear about the tragedy until later when he landed in Washington D.C.
St. Laurent is a 20 year veteran of the police force, 18 of which he spent as a motorcycle officer. His family has been notified of his death.
“We didn’t just lose a co-worker, we lost a friend. He would do anything for anyone,” Jupiter Police spokesman Frank Kitzerow told the Palm Beach Post.
The President’s press secretary Jay Carney said Monday that the he was aware of the accident, adding “our thoughts and prayers are with the officer’s family.”
Police have not filed charges at this time and are still conducting an investigation, though the driver could potentially face vehicular homicide charges.
Traffic accident fatalities have increased the first quarter this year, indicating that people are becoming more reckless on the roadways. Negligent drivers are often held accountable for their carelessness by accident attorneys who are capable of obtaining large settlements on behalf of their clients.
