BREAKING NEWS LCSO: Lehigh Acres shooting investigation underway

2 years since Charlotte County deputy was killed on I-75

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Charlotte County Deputy Christopher Taylor.

It is a somber day for the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office as one of their own was killed during a traffic stop on Interstate 75 exactly two years ago.

Twenty-three-year-old Christopher Taylor had his life cut short after Cassandra Smith drunkenly ran over the deputy in 2022.

Since his death, Smith has begun serving a 29-year sentence after a jury found her guilty of DUI manslaughter

She is currently serving her prison sentence at the Florida Women’s Reception Center in Ocala and is expected to be released on Nov. 15, 2051.


Woman accused of killing a Charlotte County deputy to appear in court

Deputy Taylor’s family leaves courtroom after hearing Cassandra Smith phone call

Dashcam video shows Cassandra Smith failing field sobriety test in 2021


Following Taylor’s death, Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell and Lt. Rocco Casano visited Taylor’s grave to honor his memory during the Wreaths Across America ceremony in December of 2023.

The portion of I-75 between Duncan Road and Harbor View Road has since been renamed Deputy Sheriff Christopher Taylor Memorial Highway  in honor of Taylor, solidifying his legacy.

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