Sergeant Francisco Diaz-Melendez, Puerto Rico Police Department, Puerto Rico

Sergeant Francisco Diaz-Melendez

Puerto Rico Police Department, Puerto Rico

End of Watch Sunday, October 6, 1985

Francisco Diaz-Melendez

Policeman Homero Ortiz-Martinez, Policeman Herminio Lopez-Pilar, and Sergeant Francisco Diaz-Melendez, drowned when their patrol car fell through a broken bridge into a swollen river during Tropical Storm Isabel.

The officers were responding to a distress call while driving along PR-52 Luis A. Ferre Expressway. When they arrived at marker 78.1 they did not realize the bridge had collapsed completely, and their vehicle fell into the Coamo River along with other vehicles. It was concluded that heavy rains caused the bridge to collapse and poor visibility obscured the missing portion of the bridge.

Policeman Pedro Burgos-Lacourt drowned the following day while working on efforts to recover the patrol car from the river.

Bio

Age 39
Tour Not available
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Automobile crash

Most Recent Reflection

View all 3 Reflections

Your heroism and service is honored today, the 24th anniversary of your death. Your memory lives and you continue to inspire. Thank you for your service. My cherished son Larry Lasater was a fellow police officer murdered in the line of duty on April 24, 2005 while serving as a Pittsburg, CA police officer.

Rest In Peace

Phyllis Loya

Anonymous

October 6, 2009