Deputy Sheriff Melissa J. Powers

Melissa J. Powers

Deputy Sheriff Melissa Powers was killed in a single-vehicle automobile crash on U.S. 1 at approximately 10:30 pm.

While she was en route to locate another deputy who could not be reached by dispatchers, she swerved to avoid another car that pulled in front of her and lost control of the police cruiser on the slick roads. Her vehicle spun and hit a parked tractor-trailer leaving her pinned inside. She was transported to a local hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries a short time later. It is believed that the deputy she was attempting to locate had switched his radio to another frequency, causing him to be temporarily unreachable.

Deputy Powers had served with the Monroe County Sheriff's Office for almost four years. She is survived by her husband, daughter, stepson, and parents.