PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — It’s been nearly eight months since Pinellas County deputy Michael Magli was killed in the line of duty.
“It's darkest hour in the 109-year history of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, because it’s the day that we lost our first deputy in the line of duty,” said Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.
Magli was killed after a drunk driver crashed into his squad car at the intersection of Eastlake Road and Forelock Road on February 17.
That very intersection, has now been renamed the Deputy Michael J. Magli Memorial Road. Magli’s oldest daughter helped the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office unveil the new sign this morning.
“The fact that he will forever be remembered, means so much for my girls. We call this the daddy road when we drive on it,” said Stephanie Magli, deputy Magli’s widow.
Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill back in June directing the Florida Department of Transportation to dedicate portions of highways after Magli and two other bay-area law enforcement officers who were all killed in the line of duty in 2021.
Now thousands who drive on East Lake Road will be able to keep the memory and legacy of a Magli alive.
“All this helps to ensure that our hero is remembered and never dies in our hearts and minds,” Gualtieri said.
