Family and Friends Mourn Trooper Killed in Crash

Family and friends spent Sunday mourning the loss of Florida Highway Patrol trooper Patrick Ambroise, who died on the job in a horrific car crash in Miami-Dade.

The 35-year-old Ambroise, a married father of two, was killed Saturday night when a car veered into the shoulder and slammed into Ambriose's patrol car which was parked on the right shoulder of the northbound lanes of the Florida Turnpike in western Miami-Dade.

Members of the congregation at Eden Seventh Day Adventist Church in Little Haiti were shocked to learn of their fellow parishioner's death.

"First of all, he was a good, Christian guy," said friend Maudira Escarment outside church Sunday. "I spoke with him yesterday when he came to church, I spoke with him and I did not know yesterday was going to be his last day.

"It's very terrible, tragic."

Ambroise, a four-year veteran of the FHP, was nearing the end of his shift around 8:30 p.m. when the Lexus, driven by 19-year-old Jonathan Robert Garcia, collided with his Crown Victoria. The trooper's car burst into flames, killing Ambroise at the scene.

Investigators are trying to figure out what caused Garcia to veer into the shoulder. Garcia is still recovering from injuries at Jackson memorial Hospital.

On Monday, a special flag that once flew over Ground Zero before the 9/11 attacks made its way to Miami, where it will sit next to Ambroise's body for the next few days. The honor flag makes its way across the country where it pays tribute to officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Colleagues were understandably devastated at work yesterday.

"So they did roll call and he didn't answer," said a teary Laurie Williams.

The FHP will be holding a news conference Monday morning to discuss the accident.

Copyright Associated Press / NBC 6 Miami

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