Sign Unveiled Renaming Portion of East Lake Road the Michael J. Magli Memorial Road

EAST LAKE, FL —A portion of East Lake Road has officially been renamed in honor of a Pinellas County sheriff's deputy who lost his life in the line of duty.

During a ceremony Thursday, the Florida Department of Transportation unveiled signs at Forelock Road and Keystone Road dedicating the road to Deputy Michael J. Magli, who was killed on that stretch of road Feb. 17 while trying to stop a fleeing pickup truck driven by a man accused of driving drunk.

Sheriff's deputies were investigating a report of a driver who had fallen asleep behind the wheel of his pickup truck at the intersection of Forelock and East Lake roads. The man, 34-year-old Robert Allen Holzaepfel, woke up when rescue crews broke out a window to assist him, and fled in his Ford F150 pickup truck.

Magli was in the process of laying stop sticks — devices used to deflate the tires — to stop the fleeing vehicle when Holzaepfel entered the median and lost control of his truck. The pickup truck flipped over and collided with Magli and his patrol vehicle. Magli was pinned under his patrol vehicle and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Magli, 30, had been with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office since 2013 and was assigned to the patrol operations bureau.

Florida Sen. Ed Hooper, R-Palm Harbor, and state Rep. Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater, introduced the bills to rename roads in honor of Magli and two other law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty in Tampa Bay this year — Hillsborough County sheriff's Cpl. Brian Lavigne and Tampa police Master Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen.

"May the families who travel these roads know the bravery and heroism these men showed to keep the people of Tampa Bay safe," Sprowls said at the June 18 signing of the bill by Gov. Ron DeSantis to name the road for the fallen law enforcement officers.

Magli's wife, Stephanie, and daughters, Reagan and Maddie, were on hand for Thursday's dedication along with Hooper, Latvala, Speaker of the House Chris Sprowls, R-Palm Harbor, and Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri.

A ceremony was held at Brooker Creek Elementary School at 3130 Forelock Road where Gualtieri, spoke about dedicating the roads.

“The naming of the roads after the men is important because a hero never dies," Gualtieri said.

Gualtieri said Holzaepfel had a blood-alcohol level of .230 percent when he struck and killed Magli. Under Florida law, a driver can be declared legally drunk with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent.

Holzaepfel has been charged with first-degree murder, DUI manslaughter, driving while his license was suspended, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage and aggravated fleeing and eluding police officers.

His next court date is Oct. 18.

See related stories:

• Pinellas Deputy Killed After Being Struck By Driver Under Pursuit
• Hundreds Line Roads To Pay Their Respects; Funeral Set For Deputy
• 'Rest In Peace Brave Heroes': Roads Designated To Fallen Heroes