Deputy Michael D’Avanzo and Deputy Angel Martinez, Jr.
The incident happened in the early morning hours of October 2, 2024, at the intersection of Clint Moore Road and South State Road 7. According to the Sheriff’s Office, a single car ran a red light, crossed State Road 7, and drove over the sidewalk. The vehicle snagged a steel cable from a utility pole before slamming into a tree, flipping over, and catching fire.
When Deputies D’Avanzo and Martinez arrived on the scene, they immediately grabbed their fire extinguishers but were unable to put out the growing flames. With the driver trapped inside the burning car, Deputy D’Avanzo put himself in harm’s way, quickly cutting through the passenger-side airbag to pull the driver to safety…