TARPON SPRINGS â A Pinellas County Sheriffâs deputy died at the scene of a crash Feb. 17 after a suspect struck him on East Lake Road near Forelock Road.
Deputies responded to that intersection about 4:25 p.m. in unincorporated Tarpon Springs. Detectives say Robert Allen Holzaepfel. 33, a transient was passed out behind the wheel of a 2002 Ford F150 stopped at a red light.
Rescue workers were first on scene and they broke out a window to gain access to the man.
Detectives say Holzaepfel fled the scene traveling north on East Lake Road. He continued to drive recklessly, traveling east on Keystone Road continuing to evade deputies.
Driver accused of killing Pinellas County deputy in suspected drunk driving crash faces murder charge
Robert Allen Holzaepfel, 33, is facing multiple charges including first-degree murder, DUI manslaughter, and aggravated fleeing and eluding police officers. Author: 10 Tampa Bay Updated: 2:23 PM EST February 19, 2021
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. The suspected drunk driver accused of hitting and killing Pinellas County Deputy Michael Magli is facing multiple charges related to the crash, including first-degree murder.
The crash happened Wednesday evening at the intersection of East Lake Road and Forelock Road in Tarpon Springs.
During a news conference, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said it started when the Pinellas County Fire Department found Robert Allen Holzaepfel in his truck slumped over and unresponsive at a red light. Gualtieri says fire crews decided to break the truck s window to try to help him. When they broke the window, the sher
Suspect charged with murder after crash that killed Pinellas deputy
By Kellie Cowan and Jennifer Holton
Published
Jennifer Holton reports
TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - A drunk-driving suspect has now been charged with murder after Wednesday s crash that killed a Pinellas County deputy.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Deputy Michael Magli gave his life while trying to save others from a reckless and suspected drunk driver, identified as 33-year-old Robert Allen Holzaepfel.
Magli is the first deputy at the Pinellas County Sheriff s Office to be killed in the line of duty.
Deputy Michael Magli, courtesy Pinellas County Sheriff s Office To say it’s a tragedy is an understatement, the sheriff said Wednesday. There are no words to make sense of it.