Portion of I-275 dedicated to deputy killed in line of duty
Deputy Hartwick was killed in the line of duty on September 23, 2022. Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriffs Office
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. - On Wednesday, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office unveiled a sign that officially dedicated a portion of I-275 after Deputy Michael Hartwick.
On July 1, the Florida Legislature designated the portion of I-275 between mile markers 30 and 31 as "Deputy Sheriff Michael Hartwick Memorial Highway." Hartwick was killed in the line of duty on Sep. 23, 2022, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.
READ: Bay area teen who took her own life honored with yellow bench at Tampa Bay Skating Academy
The deputy died near Exit 30 on southbound I-275 while assisting a construction crew that was working overnight. Officials say that Harwick parked his cruiser in the southbound lanes of I-275 with his emergency equipment on.
Deputies say that Hartwick exited his cruiser moments later, walked to the shoulder of the road, and was hit by a large front loader driven by a construction worker. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
"The naming of the roads after our deputies who were killed in the line of duty is important, because a hero never dies," said Sheriff Bob Gualtieri in a statement.