FHP honors DUI enforcement trooper
The Florida Highway Patrol recently awarded Trooper Michael A. Hollis Jr. the Hurd-Smith award for 2009. The award recognizes the trooper who leads FHP in Driving Under the Influence apprehensions for the year. Hollis, stationed in Land O’Lakes, made 203 DUI arrests last year.
“Trooper Hollis did an outstanding job protecting the citizens of Florida from drunk drivers,” said Colonel John Czernis, director of the Florida Highway Patrol. “We are proud to honor him with this well deserved award.”
The Florida Highway Patrol named the Hurd-Smith award, which distinguishes the trooper who makes the most DUI arrests for the year, in honor of two troopers who were killed in the line of duty by drunk drivers. Trooper Kimberly Hurd served the people of Florida for six years. On July 16, 1992, Hurd was conducting a traffic stop on Interstate 95 in Fort Lauderdale when a passing van struck and killed her. The intoxicated driver fled the scene, but was later apprehended and convicted. At the time of her death, Hurd was 26 years old. Trooper Robbie Smith served the people of Florida for four years. On July 26, 1997, Smith was in his patrol car in the emergency lane of I-95 in Miami after completing a traffic stop when a drunk driver traveling at an excessive speed struck his car from behind. At the time of his death, he was 34 years old.
The Florida Highway Patrol recognized 15 other troopers from across the state for their efforts to remove impaired drivers from the roadways by making more than 100 DUI arrests in 2009.