Polk County detention deputy killed in off-duty crash on I-4: PCSO

A Polk County detention deputy died after an off-duty crash on Interstate 4 near Haines City Tuesday night, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.PCSO says Jonathan Morales Pabon, 32, was riding as a front passenger in a Nissan SUV driven by a 21-year-old Lake Wales woman around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday on eastbound Interstate 4, near the U.S. Highway 27 overpass. The sheriff's office said Morales Pabon was reclined in his seat when the woman suddenly braked after passing beneath the overpass, crossing several traffic lanes to try and quickly exit the interstate. The SUV weaved in front of an eastbound Ford pickup truck traveling at highway speed in the far-right lane. The pickup truck hit the Nissan, causing Morales Pabon to slide into the back of the SUV, where he suffered a deadly head injury. Emergency crews took the woman to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to investigators. The driver of the truck, a 38-year-old Orlando man, was not hurt. Morales Pabon was hired as a detention deputy in March 2021 and was sworn in to PCSO on May 17, 2021. He was assigned to the South County Jail in Frostproof.Morales Pabon, of Davenport, was originally from New York City and previously served as a corrections officer with the Florida Department of Corrections from 2018 until joining PCSO.In addition to his Florida corrections certification, Morales Pabon earned an associate degree in HVAC from the Technical Career Institute in New York."We are all grieving at the loss of this great young deputy who has well and faithfully served with our agency for the past five years, and was a public servant for several years prior to that. He will be greatly missed. Please keep his family in your prayers," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said.Investigators have not yet confirmed if the driver of the Nissan will face criminal charges or traffic citations related to the crash.The Polk County Sheriff's Office Traffic Homicide Investigations Unit continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash. No additional information has been released.