PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The family of a Florida Highway Patrol trooper killed in a high-speed chase in February has filed a counterclaim against three entities: the estate of a semi-truck driver who also died in the crash; the freight company he drove for; and the owners of the truck and trailer.
The trooper’s family’s counterclaim contends Más “negligently operated the semitruck so as to cause it to collide with the patrol car Zachary Fink was driving.”
The Fink estate alleges Más did not yield the right-of-way nor move over when Fink was chasing a Kia Forte driven by 32-year-old Michael Addison. It claims Más was at fault for driving fatigued and not wearing a seatbelt.
The family of truck driver Arsenio Mas filed suit in late January 2025.
In January 2024, the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) trooper and truck driver were killed Feb. 3 after the trooper followed a reckless driver who made an illegal U-turn into the opposite direction of Interstate 95, officials said.
The suspect initially got away and was chased by other troopers and deputies until he crashed into a tree and fled on foot. He was captured about five hours after the initial pursuit, following an extensive manhunt, authorities said.
A St. Lucie County deputy initially tried to stop the suspect because he was driving at twice the speed limit but disengaged several minutes later. Trooper Zachary Fink then picked up the pursuit, trying to stop the motorist out of concern he was endangering other drivers, said Col. Gary Howze, who heads the FHP.
After the suspect made an abrupt U-turn into the opposite direction of highway traffic, Fink followed, turning into the path of the tractor-trailer. The truck’s driver died at the scene, and the trooper was airlifted to a hospital, where he died, the agency said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said on social media that “our hearts go out to” the trooper’s family and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Fink, 26, was a three-year highway patrol veteran, starting in Orlando before transferring to his hometown in the Port St. Lucie area. He’s survived by a fiancée and his parents, Howze said.
Several lanes of the major north-south highway were closed for most of the day because of the crash.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
