An off-duty Sweetwater Police officer was killed Sunday after he lost control of his personal motorcycle on the expressway, authorities said.
The City of Sweetwater said 22-year-old Brian Marrero was pronounced dead on scene after the blue 2009 Yamaha hit a guardrail on the highway, subsequently ejecting him from the bike.
Family members at the scene embraced each other and men from Marrero's police department cried. Mayor Manny Morono and Commissioner Jose Pepe Diaz also showed their support.
"The loss of Police Officer Bryan Marrero is a tragedy for the police department as a whole but also a personal tragedy for me because I have known him and his family for over ten years," Morono said in a statement.
The accident occurred around 1:30 p.m. in the southbound lanes of Interstate-75 between the Miami Gardens Drive and NW 138th Street exits. The City of Sweetwater believes wind conditions may have played a part in the accident.
Family members told NBC 6 South Florida that Marrero, in his second year with the force, was driving home from having breakfast with his dad, who was on another motorcycle when the crash occurred.
Sweetwater Police officers honored Marrero and escorted his body from the accident scene.
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"Bryan was a cop's cop, even coming into work on his days off to help out his fellow police officers," Morono's statement read. "He conducted himself in a manner beyond his years. He had a vibrant personality with a smile that lit up any room he stepped in."
No other vehicles were involved, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
A wake is scheduled for Monday night with a burial on Tuesday.
Stay with NBC 6 South Florida for updates.
