A Fort Lauderdale cop driving to work struck and killed a Miami man, BSO says

A Fort Lauderdale police officer struck and killed a Miami man while driving to work, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies say the crash happened Tuesday evening near 1200 North Powerline Road in Pompano Beach.

Karl Robertson was headed south on Powerline in his Dodge Charger police car just before 9 p.m. when he approached a traffic signal at the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. The light was green so he drove through.

At that same time, Francisco Valdez-Villacres, 30, crossed the street and was hit by the front of Robertson’s patrol car.

Pompano Beach Fire Rescue arrived shortly after the crash and transported Valdez-Villacres to Broward Health North. Medical officials later pronounced him dead.

BSO detectives are investigating. Fort Lauderdale police said there’s been no change in Robertson’s duty status.

This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 4:51 PM.

C. Isaiah Smalls II

Miami Herald

302-373-8866

C. Isaiah Smalls II is a sports and culture writer who covers the Miami Dolphins. In his previous capacity at the Miami Herald, he was the race and culture reporter who created The 44 Percent, a newsletter dedicated to the Black men who voted to incorporate the city of Miami. A graduate of both Morehouse College and Columbia Graduate School of Journalism, Smalls previously worked for ESPN’s Andscape.