Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook and members of the Sheriff’s Office will host the 2024 Police Memorial Ceremony on Thursday.

ORANGE PARK, Fla. – The driver cited in the 2018 crash that killed a Clay County deputy was found guilty Friday after pleading no contest to a traffic infraction. Schioppa was cited last August, nearly one year after the Aug. 19, 2018, collision in Orange Park. The deputy was taken to Orange Park Medical Center with critical injuries, but he did not survive. Schioppa originally entered a plea of not guilty in the case, but he changed his plea on Friday. Pleading no contest does not mean the driver admits guilt, but rather that the plea is in his best interest.

Zirbel died after an agency motorcycle crashed into the trailer of a vehicle that pulled in front of him. Blood tests found Schioppa had no alcohol in his system, but there were traces of THC, the active ingredient of marijuana. "Thus, there is insufficient evidence to charge Steven Schioppa with DUI manslaughter," the FHP report concludes. Zirbel, a 12-year veteran of the Sheriff's Office, was survived by a wife and son. The Sheriff's Office held a wreath-laying ceremony in his honor last month.

Despite traces of the active ingredient of marijuana found in the blood of the driver who caused a crash that resulted in the death of Clay County Deputy Ben Zirbel 13 months ago, the Florida Highway Patrol found insufficient evidence to recommend prosecution.

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. - The Clay County Sheriff's Office honored fallen Deputy Ben Zirbel with a wreath-laying ceremony Monday, which marked one year since the crash that led to his death. In his memory, the Sheriff's Office held the private service at 10:55 a.m. -- the time when the crash happened last year -- at the intersection where it happened. The Sheriff's Office said Sheriff Darryl Daniels, members of the agency and others who were close to Zirbel were present as Sgt. The Florida Highway Patrol, Sheriff's Office Public Service Aids, the Sheriff's Office Honor Guard and Clay County Fire Rescue were also present during the memorial. "Traffic enforcement was his love and trying to reduce crashes, save lives through traffic enforcement in Clay County ... that was his passion.

ORANGE PARK, Fla. - A driver has been cited in the traffic crash that resulted in the death of a Clay County deputy. The final report on the crash investigation could be released this week. A Clay County Sheriffs Office spokesperson said the agency would have no comment until the report comes out. He was rushed to Orange Park Medical Center in critical condition but did not survive. On Monday, the Sheriffs Office will hold a wreath-laying ceremony in memory of Zirbel, a 12-year agency veteran who left behind a wife and son.