Veteran lost brother to PTSD battle...stranger let her know he cared

Stranger leaves heartfelt note for veteran who lost brother to PTSD

WINK
Jerrica Valtierra
Jack Lowenstein
Published: June 20, 2019

A little kindness can go a long way. And for a woman, a stranger’s act of kindness meant the world to her. Now, she wants to thank a man who showed her and her brother a simple kindness.

Lauren Osborne is a retired Florida Highway Patrol officer and a U.S. Air Force veteran. Osborne lost her brother to PTSD after he served in the U.S Marines Corp.

Osborne drives around with a special decal on her car that memorializes her brother’s life. She also just so happens to have a dash cam that captured a man share his sentiments with her.

“There’s no way that I could really thank him for what he did,” Osborne said. “It was really sweet.”

Osborne’s camera recorded the moment a man left a note on her car’s windshield.

“Sorry about your brother,” the stranger’s note read. “May God bless him. He was part of a great brotherhood.”

Osborne said she had to take the time to appreciate the message left especially for her and her brother.

“I received this note,” Osborne said. “I was actually taken aback a little bit. I had to sit in my car and read it.”

Osborne’s brother served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Osborne said he experienced the unimaginable while he was overseas.

“One of the hardest things I ever probably will go through in my entire life,” Osborne said. “My brother, a U.S. Marine for five years, he was a sergeant when he discharged at the end of 2010. He became incredibly withdrawn.”
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Trooper Chelsea Renee Richard killed in line of duty

FHP trooper, tow-truck driver killed in multicar crash on I-75 near Ocala
Orlando Sentinel
By Kevin P. Connolly and Desiree Stennett, Staff Writers
May 3, 2014

A nine-year veteran of the Florida Highway Patrol and a tow-truck driver were killed in a crash Saturday on Interstate 75 near Ocala.

Trooper Chelsea Renee Richard, 30, stopped near mile marker 341 on southbound I-75 at 1:40 p.m. after two cars crashed in the area. Both cars were pulled off the highway onto the shoulder.

About 20 minutes later, as Richard was talking with the tow-truck driver, John Duggan, 57, of Levy County, another multi-vehicle crash happened in the same area.

After a seven-vehicle pileup, the driver of a southbound pickup traveled onto the east shoulder where the trooper stood with Duggan and a third man, George Robert Phillip, 52, of Ocala.

The pickup struck Richard, Duggan and Phillip. Both Richard, an Ocala resident who had a 4-year-old son, and Duggan were killed at the scene. Phillip remained in critical conditon at Ocala Regional Hospital late Saturday.
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Florida Vietnam Veteran facing deportation in custody after police standoff

Veteran in police custody after standoff on Florida Turnpike
Miami Herald
November 11, 2013

Davie police and the Broward County Sheriff's SWAT team assisted at the scene. Davie police said Guiterres, who served in Vietnam, was upset because he is facing deportation. His appeal is pending.

A military veteran who threatened to hurt himself brought traffic to a halt on the Interstate 595 and Florida Turnpike interchange Monday morning.

The Florida Highway Patrol said negotiators were brought in to talk with 59-year-old Fredy Gutierres from Sunrise. Talks ended peacefully three hours later when the man was taken into custody.

Guiterres was spotted near a white panel van straddling the guard rail on the southbound Turnpike exit ramp to eastbound I-595. He had a sign on the van that read “HIPPOCRATE (sic) TRAITORS.” Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Mark Wysocky said he had a rifle with an American flag on it leaning against the van.
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4-year-old hit, killed on beach in New Smyrna

4-year-old hit, killed on beach in New Smyrna

By Sandra Pedicini, ORLANDO SENTINEL

10:57 p.m. EDT, July 18, 2010


For the second time in four months, a 4-year-old child has died after being struck by a vehicle driving on Volusia County's beaches.

A 2003 Dodge pickup truck rolled over Aiden Patrick of Daytona Beach a little after 3 p.m. Sunday on New Smyrna Beach, said Sgt. Kim Montes of the Florida Highway Patrol. (The victim earlier was identified by authorities as "Aden Ball.")

Aiden was on the beach with his parents near Crawford Road when he ran toward the water and into the path of the red truck, according to the Florida Highway Patrol. The front right tire ran over the boy.

Aiden did not have a pulse and was not breathing when emergency workers arrived, said Mark O'Keefe, a spokesman for the EVAC ambulance service. The child was pronounced dead at Bert Fish Medical Center.
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4 year old hit killed on beach in New Smyrna

Trooper killed in Miami-Dade Turnpike crash

Trooper killed in Miami-Dade Turnpike crash

By Mike Clary, Sun Sentinel

8:50 a.m. EDT, May 16, 2010

Miami – A 35-year-old Florida Highway Patrol officer was killed in a fiery collision Saturday evening in northwest Miami-Dade County when his patrol car was stuck from behind on the Florida Turnpike.

Patrick Ambroise, who had just marked his fourth anniversary as an FHP officer, was trapped in his car and engulfed in flames. He was prounounced dead at the scene.

Ambroise, in a 2006 Ford Crown Victoria, was parked on the right shoulder of the northbound toll road just north of the Okeechobee Road interchange at 8:39 p.m. when his vehicle was struck from hehind by a 1995 Lexus, according to FHP investigators.


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Trooper killed in Miami Dade Turnpike crash

Florida Highway Patrol Trooper and wife die in "apparent murder-suicide"

Married for 29 years. On the force since 1988. The officer and his wife were both 48. How do you go from putting your life on the line everyday for that many years, shared with a wife you've spent over half your life with, raised children with, cried and laughed with, and then decide to take her life plus your own? Something had to have happened to lead to this. That is what we cannot dismiss.

FHP trooper and wife die in apparent murder suicide
Reported by: Victoria Benchimol
Email: vbenchimol@abcactionnews.com
Last Update: 6:54 am


FLORAL CITY, FL - A Florida Highway Patrol Trooper shot his wife and then killed himself in an apparent murder-suicide, deputies say.

The Citrus County Sheriff's Department says the trooper called 911 shortly after 3:00 a.m. Sunday. Deputies responded to his home at 4525 E Seese Lane, a rural road in Floral City.

When they arrived, deputies found FHP Trooper Eddie Silcox, 48 and his wife, Sandra June Silcox, 48 inside. Sandra had been shot and was deceased at the scene.

Trooper Silcox, who had apparently shot himself, was transported to Citrus Memorial Hospital where he died from his wounds.

The trooper and his wife have two sons, one is in the military overseas, the other is a teenager.

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FHP trooper and wife die in apparent murder suicide

2 soldiers struck, killed by car while arguing before deployment

2 soldiers struck, killed by car while arguing

The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Oct 26, 2009 18:43:48 EDT

FORT PIERCE, Fla. — Two soldiers going to surprise their families before deployment to Iraq were killed when they got into an argument and were hit by a car.

The Florida Highway Patrol says Joshua Thomas Baker and Jonathan Wendell Peterson, both on their way home to southwest Florida, were killed on a dark road in Fort Pierce on Saturday evening.
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http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/ap_soldiers_killed_car_102609/

Florida Highway Patrol high speed chase leads to shooting

Woman shot to death in Ormond Beach by four FHP troopers
UPDATED 2:52 p.m. A suicidal woman was shot to death by four state troopers this morning after a car chase that topped 100 mph, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Police sources said the black Mitsubishi driven by the woman killed today is the same description of a car belonging to a 35-year-old woman listed as missing out of Port Orange and armed, dangerous and suicidal.
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Teen directing traffic around injured dog hit, killed by car

Teen directing traffic around injured dog hit, killed by car
A 19-year-old woman was killed when a car slammed into her as she was attempting to steer traffic away from her dog, which had been hit earlier.


Samantha J. Schleh, of Palm Coast, was standing with Michael H. Griffin, 23, of Palm Coast in the northbound lane of State Road A1A near Malacompra Road shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
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Tractor-trailer hits van, kills six

Tractor-Trailer Hits Van In Fla.; 6 Killed
Truck Loaded With Sand Collides With Van, Killing All 6 Men Aboard
Comments 12
MOORE HAVEN, Fla., Sept. 29, 2008

AP) Six men in a van were killed when a tractor-trailer loaded with sand hit their vehicle Monday in south-central Florida.

The Florida Highway Patrol said the tractor-trailer ran through a stop sign around 6:30 a.m. and struck the van's right side.
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http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/29/national/main4486287.shtml

$182,000 in nickels strewn on I-95 in fatal tractor-trailer crash

$182,000 in nickels strewn on I-95 in fatal tractor-trailer crash
Bianca Prieto Sentinel Staff Writer
11:21 AM EDT, September 17, 2008
Florida Highway Patrol troopers are on the scene of a deadly accident on Interstate 95 near Mims this morning.

A tractor-trailer carrying $182,000 in nickels was involved in a crash with a second tractor-trailer around 5:22 a.m. Some of the 4 tons of coins have been strewn across the highway.

One lane of traffic is moving slowly past the accident scene.

Troopers say that the two tractor-trailers were traveling south on I-95 when the second tractor-trailer - carrying the coins - ran into the back of the first tractor. The first semi ran off the west side of the road and hit a guardrail, and the crash forced the second tractor-trailer to overturn on its right side.

Brevard County Sheriff's Office has contacted the U.S. Secret Service, the Treasury Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Officials from the three government entities will oversee the collection of the coins.

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Beer is found in wrong-way SUV

Beer is found in wrong-way SUV
By Jessica Vander Velde, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, September 12, 2008


TAMPA — The driver of the SUV in Wednesday's fatal crash on the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway had unopened beer in her vehicle, the Florida Highway Patrol said Thursday.

Cheryl M. Riemann of Ruskin had several Budweiser beer bottles in the front of her vehicle, but Highway Patrol Sgt. Steve Gaskins said all the bottles he saw were closed except one that broke in the crash.

The bottles led investigators to believe alcohol may have played a part in the crash, he said. Blood-alcohol test results are pending.

Riemann, 25, was traveling east on the westbound lanes of the expressway just after 2 p.m. Wednesday. Her sport utility vehicle hit a Pontiac coupe head on and killed its driver, Jennifer O'Boyle. It happened on the lower portion of the expressway, not far from Palm River Road.
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http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/accidents/article807176.ece

Man dies after troopers say hit-run driver drags, runs him over

Man dies after troopers say hit-run driver drags, runs him over
By Chuin-Wei Yap, Times Staff Writer
In print: Saturday, August 2, 2008
DADE CITY — A 56-year-old Lacoochee man died after being dragged and then run over by a pickup on Mosstown Road on Thursday night.

The Florida Highway Patrol said Eugene Austin Pickett died at Pasco Regional Hospital in Dade City, where he was taken after the accident.

Troopers are looking for the driver of a white truck who reportedly got into an argument with Pickett just before the accident. The white truck also has a blue driver's door.

Troopers estimate the accident happened at 8:30 p.m. on Mosstown Road just east of U.S. 301. The truck was westbound on Mosstown Road when it stopped. Troopers say Pickett was standing next to the vehicle when an argument broke out between him and the driver. Officers don't know why the pair argued.

Anyone with information should call Sgt. Heather Glenny toll-free at 1-800-235-6019.
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http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/article752823.ece