Monroe County, FL sheriff's deputy dies in U.S. 1 crash

[MOD 1]

A Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputy has been killed in a wreck on U.S. 1.

Deputy Nick Pham, 38, of Homestead, was pronounced dead at the scene.

He is survived by his wife, Jackey, and a 13-year-old son.

He was driving an unmarked Dodge Charger on U.S. 1 when he collided with an 18-wheel tractor-trailer that apparently T-boned him on the driver side just north of the Tom's Harbor Bridge at Mile Marker 62 at about 12:20 p.m.

The Sheriff's Office recently bought three Dodge Chargers, using a $200,000 Florida Department of Transportation grant, to enforce school-related traffic, specifically targeting aggressive drivers.

Pham, who previously worked for the Florida City Police Department and Dade Correctional Institution, is the sixth deputy to be killed in the line of duty, and the fourth to be killed in a traffic wreck in the last 20 years.

It was around this time last year that Deputy Robin Tanner was killed in a wreck on U.S. 1 in Marathon. Tanner swerved off U.S. 1 and collided with a building, Marathon Cleaners, as she was responding to a medical emergency on Dec. 13.

Source http://keysnews.com/node/7838

May he Rest in Peace, and my prayers go out to his Family and his brother and sister Deputies and Officers.

Mod 1

R.I.P Brother Nick. You will be missed by all. You were always a great friend and Deputy. You Will be thought of every day. Your in a better place... I can't wait to be able to see you again. Things won't be the same without you. I love you.

:cry:

Very sad and tragic. My prayers and thoughts are with his family and the members of the Monroe S.O. You guys and girls be careful out there.

- LEO Up North

[Wedge2112]

Monroe County Sheriff's Office
Press Release
November 28, 2008

Services set for deputy, killed in the line of duty Wednesday

The services for Monroe County Sheriff's Deputy Nick Pham will be held on Monday and Tuesday of next week.

Pham was killed while on duty on Wednesday when his vehicle and a semi tractor trailer truck collided at the 62 mile marker of highway U.S. One, near Conch Key in the Florida Keys.

His family has planned a viewing on Monday from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Palm Woodlawn Funeral Home, 27100 Old Dixie Highway in Naranga, Florida. The contact number for the funeral home is 305-247-4218.

The funeral for Deputy Pham will be on Tuesday at noon at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Cutler Bay, Florida. The contact number for the church is 305-762-2241.

Police agencies who plan to send honor guards or who wish to participate in any way can visit the Monroe County Sheriff's Office website for contact information. The web site is www.keysso.net (http://www.keysso.net) and there is a link on the home page.

Nick (Pookie),

Not only were you one hell of a deputy, you were a dear friend. I remember all the great times we had writing tickets together. We, as you liked to say, "knocked their heads off" at C8 on 905 and at the 106mm. You gave 110% each and everyday you came to work. I remember when we were in the THI class back in Dec 2006 when the hole "pookie" name started. For those of you who don't know about that, I'll briefly tell you. Nick and I were sitting next to each other and he went to the restroom. Prior to this, the instructor passed out name cards for us to write our names on so everyone knew who each other was. Well, if you know Nick and I, we were always joking around with one another and playing pranks on each other. Well, when Nick went to the restroom, I marked out his name with a sharpie and wrote "pookie" on his name card. Well a short time later, the instructor asked a question and Nick raised his hand. The instructor walked over to our table and began to call on Nick. The instructor had a puzzled look on his faced as he said, "yes pookie." Needless to say Nick looked at his name card and he saw what I wrote. He knew right away who did it. Everyone got a good laugh out of it, even Pookie.

We had a lot of great times and nothing is going to be the same my friend. Everything from going to Sunshine for coffee in the mornings, working out at the gym and at your house, going to Chilli Willies on Fridays just for the soup, hanging out on our off days, waxing our cars (and your huge Suburban), getting our POVs re-tinted, working on your truck and getting all cut up from the hoses, being a groomsman in my wedding this past Saturday, play boxing with your son who you loved so much, and so so much more. I am truly going to miss you Nick. I know you are looking down on me (us) right now from Heaven. As many officers funerals that we have gone to together all over the State, I never would have imagined I’m going to yours. I love you man.

Jason (J-Dawg)

RIP brother. You are in the thoughts and prayers of everyone.

Collier County SO

R.I.P. my brother you will never be forgotten.....

When I first met Nick, he just completed the FTO program. I was working nightshift and he was on days. I backed him up on a domestic call in Key Largo early one morning on my way home. After that call was over, we started talking and he told me that he just came from the Florida City Police Department. Nick soon transferred to my shift on nights and we became closer. Nick and I clicked right away because since day one, both of us loved writing tickets and as Nick and I loved to say, “educate people.”

Nick loved traffic enforcement so much. While he was assigned to road patrol, he went out and bought his own Stalker Dual Radar unit and had it installed in his patrol car. Nick and I would write tickets most of the night and sometimes we would write too much and our supervisors would have to politely remind us that we also had to do our residence and business checks too. We worked on the same shift in the Key Largo area for a while then a traffic unit position came available. Nick was unsure if he wanted it at the time because he liked having every other weekend off and not having to work most holidays so he could be home with the family. I went ahead and put in for the traffic unit, got selected for the position and about a month later, I transferred to the traffic unit. I was assigned to the Islamorada and Key Largo area and I would see Nick pretty much on a nightly basis. I kept bugging Nick to come over to the unit next time there was an open position. We would be eating dinner together and his sector/district would be getting slammed with calls for service and he would have to clear his dinner break and handle calls. Nick soon took my advise and said that he was going to put in for the traffic unit next time a spot came open. A position opened in the traffic unit about a month later, Nick put in for the position and was selected. It took about two months for him to be able to transfer because of shift coverage. Nick and I would have competitions with one another each month on who could write the most tickets. I remember about one month in particular, about two years ago, I told Nick that I wanted write 400 tickets that month and I expected him to write the same or a little more. Nick turned to me and said, “boy you crazy.”

Along the way, we came up with a few nicknames for one another, My nicknames were Tango and J-Dawg and his were Cash, because he like to buy things and Pookie. I’ll briefly tell you how I came up with that name for him.

When we were in Traffic Homicide school back in Dec 2006, Nick and I were sitting next to each other and he went to the restroom. Prior to this, the instructor passed out name cards for us to write our names on so everyone knew who each other was. Well, if you know Nick and I, we were always joking around with one another and playing pranks on each other, some people jokingly called us husband and wife. Well, when Nick went to the restroom, I marked out his name on his name card with a sharpie marker and wrote "Pookie" on his name card. Well a short time later, the instructor asked a question and Nick raised his hand. The instructor walked over to our table and began to call on Nick. The instructor had a puzzled grin look on his faced as he said, "yes Pookie." Needless to say Nick looked at his name card and he saw what I wrote. He knew right away who did it. Everyone got a good laugh out of it, even Pookie.

During the years we were in the traffic unit together, there were times that neither he or I would feel like doing anything because we were tired or just not feeling well. We would go get some of that great Cuban coffee and next thing you knew, we were burning up the radio with traffic stops. Our favorite spots were mile marker C8 on county road 905, the Cardsound bridge by the tollbooth, the 106mm and the 47mm by the 7-mile bridge. We would often do wolf packs by teaming up with members of the Florida Highway Patrol and Department of Environment Protection, saturate an area and as Nick would say, “knock their heads off.” That was Nick’s way of saying, write a lot of tickets. Nick was a traffic guru, he loved his job so much.

Nick was suppose to transfer to the Miami-Dade Police Department around January of 2009 to be closer to his family, especially his son, Kevin, who he loved so much. Nick would have transferred to Miami Dade sooner but he needed to loose some more weight and he needed motivation to do so. So, Nick went out and bought a Bow flex, treadmill, elliptical machine and even subscribed to a weight loss program on the internet to help him loose weight. When Nick had his mind set on something, he went at it 100%. Nick told me about all the stuff that he bought and he told me, not asked, that I was going to come over, work out with him and get in shape too. Like everything, after about a month, we both fell off the bandwagon so to speak, and stopped working out. Nick would often remind me that we needed to work out again so he could loose a little more weight, but this was usually while we were stuffing our faces with chicken wings at Chilli Willies in Islamorada.

Around September of this year, Nick lost most of the weight that he needed and called his background investigator from Miami Dade. His background investigator told him, “everything looked good, but they were currently on a hiring freeze” and they were going to start taking laterals again around January. Nick was upset but willing to wait. In October, Nick and I were getting a coffee at the Sunshine Market when he received a phone call from his background investigator. Long story short, she told him the hiring freeze was lifted and they were going to try and bring over the people they already had ready to hire around January of 2009. Nick’s face lit up and he looked like he was going to give me a big bear hug. I told him that I was happy for him because I knew this was what he wanted and what was best for his son, Kevin. Nick was a wonderful family man and a great deputy.

Kevin was his world. He talked about his son all the time. Kevin is into football and baseball. Nick bought Kevin a batting cage so they could practice in their backyard. I remember all the times I went to Nick’s house on our off days and he and his son would be joking around and spending time together. Kevin, your father loved you dearly and he will always be with you in spirit. Nick was also helping to raise two other children, Crystal and Victoria, who were also very dear to him. Nick loved all kids. When I was at his house, he would often go to McDonalds and buy the neighborhood kids food and cook some good ole Mack and Cheese for them.

On Saturday, a little over a week ago, Nick was a groomsman at my wedding and his son came as a guest. During the reception, My wife and I had the traditional bouquet and garter toss. Well, Nick caught the garter and my wife’s maid of honor caught the bouquet. Unknowing to Nick, he had to put the garter on the person who caught the bouquet. My wife’s maid of honor sat down in a chair in the middle of the dance floor and Nick got down on his knees in front of her. The DJ told Nick that for every inch past her knee he put the garter, it was one year of good luck for my wife and I. Well, Nick thought he was going to be slick and just put it around her calf/knee area. I, along with everyone else including the DJ, yelled to Nick, “higher.” Nick kinda looked at me with that, “no way in hell” look. After some motivational cheers, Nick put the garter a little higher. After that, the crowd was getting a little quiet and the DJ asked me, do you want him to put it higher? I yelled to Nick, “put it around her waist.” When I said that, I thought my wife’s maid of honor was going to pass out. Nick looked at me, shrugged his shoulders and under her dress he went.

Later that night, we all went back to the hotel, where the groomsmen and I got ready. Nick and his son were about to leave when they found out their car was towed. I asked Nick where he parked it and he said in a shopping center next to the hotel. I felt so bad because I knew they were tired and wanted to get home. Nick had to call his brother, Chris, who drove all the way from Homestead to Sunny Isles Beach to the hotel, then took Nick and his son to the tow yard so he could get his car back.

Nick, together over the past few years, we have sadly traveled all over the State attending other officers’ funerals, but I never thought in a million years that I would be attending yours. You were a great friend and a great partner. You will be missed dearly. Nothing is going to be the same anymore. From calling you everyday we worked when I went through the Homestead toll on the turnpike and then meeting you at the entrance to the 18-mile stretch and traveling to the county together. Coffee at the Sunshine Market, lunch at Chilli Willies on Fridays just for the soup, working out at the gym, helping the narcotics unit out with search warrants, working at the Homestead Speedway and everything in between. It’s all going to be different now. I’m so sorry to his family and to other people that knew Nick for their tragic loss. Nick, I just want you to know a few things before I go. Even though you are not here with me physically, I know you are with me in spirit and I want you to know, I love you man and you will always be my partner.


Jason (J-Dawg)

I am really gong to miss you Nick, we always made each other laugh and I never saw you with a frown on your face. We were always making jokes in traffic court, and I specifically remember turning your heater on in full blast when you first got your Charger, and remember you craking up when you got back in your car (LMAO!). I also remember you helping me out at signal-7 scenes by assisting me with measurements, you were always there to help someone out. I am truly very lucky to have met a wonderful person like you in my life, you were always firm but fair, and you give it as much as you take it. We shared plenty of moments with each other, some were personal and some were proffesional but you were always a person that I can call a true friend. I'm already missing you brother, I just wish I would have spoken to you one more time before God took you away from us. Rest in Peace my brother, I know God had other plans for you.


Cpl Pedro Reinoso (Rhino)
FHP Monroe County

Nick left Florida City Police for Monroe County Sheriffs Office before I got hired back in 2004, but we would always talk whenever he came around Gusto's on saturday nights. Nick was a cool person and loved by everyone who knew him.

I remember Officers in Florida City telling me war stories about Nick and everything he accomplished in Florida City

RIP buddy

[Chupi]

Rest in Peace Brother.