Clay County Sheriff’s Office honors Deputy Ben Zirbel with wreath at crash site 1 year later

This is an emotional week for the law enforcement community in Clay County.

Today is one year since a crash involving Deputy Ben Zirbel, and Wednesday marks a year since his death.

The Clay County Sheriff’s Office held a brief wreath-laying ceremony in his honor this morning at 10:55 at the intersection of Blanding Boulevard and Camp Francis Johnson Road. It was the exact time of the crash at the exact spot where it happened.

Zirbel died at the hospital two days later, and the Sheriff’s Office says they will honor the sad occasion with another wreath on display at the front of the headquarters in Green Cove Springs.

Zirbel was a motorcycle deputy, and his colleagues rode in formation today without their friend and colleague. They stopped in the road, got off their motorcycles and saluted the wreath in honor of Zirbel.

The Sheriff’s Office says Sgt. Donald Sutherland, who worked with Zirbel on the Traffic Unit, was the one who placed the wreath in honor of his friend.

Members of the Florida Highway Patrol, CCSO Public Service Aids, CCSO Honor Guard and Clay County Fire Rescue were in attendance.