Pinellas Deputy Killed After Being Struck By Driver Under Pursuit

PINELLAS COUNTY, FL — A Pinellas County sheriff's deputy died Wednesday after being struck by a driver accused of attempting to evade sheriff's deputies.

During a news conference, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the Pinellas County Fire Department was called to the intersection of Forelock Road and East Lake Road in unincorporated Tarpon Springs at about 4:15 p.m. after Robert Allen Holzaepfel, 33, who is homeless, was found passed out behind the wheel of his 2002 white Ford F150 pickup truck at the intersection's red light.

Rescue crews broke out a window to assist Holzaepfel.

Gualtieri said Holzaepfel then awoke and fled the scene, driving recklessly north on East Lake Road and east on Keystone Road, trying to evade deputies.

Holzaepfel made a U-turn driving over a curb traveling back to East Lake Road where he stopped at the red light. Deputies attempted a traffic stop, however, he fled south on East Lake Road.

According to investigators, Pinellas County sheriff's Deputy Michael J. Magli was traveling north on East Lake Road and stopped in the median to place stop sticks, a tire deflation device.

Magli was standing outside his sheriff's SUV when Holzaepfel entered the median and lost control of his truck. The pickup truck flipped over and collided with Magli and his patrol vehicle.

Magli was pinned under his patrol vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gualtieri said Holzaepfel was not hurt in the crash.

Holzaepfel has been charged with first-degree murder, DUI manslaughter, driving while his license was suspended, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage and aggravated fleeing and eluding police officers.

He also faces probation violations after being convicted in Manatee County of providing false information to a pawn broker and trafficking in stolen property.

Now, the lives of Magli's wife, two children and parents will "never be the same over some drunk who's got 16 felony convictions and who's driving with a suspended license, who's fleeing from the cops, who's driving like a maniac," Gualtieri said.

Magli has been with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office since 2013 and was assigned to the patrol operations bureau.

A GoFundMe site has been set up to assist his family

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