Robert G. Smith

Florida Highway Patrol — Tallahassee, FL

Felonious

End of Watch July 26, 1997

Age 34

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 144 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 53

Incident

Trooper Robbie Smith was killed at approximately 3:00 am when his patrol car was struck from behind by a drunk driver near the Northwest 95th Street exit on Interstate 95. He had just finished a traffic stop on I-95 and was completing paperwork when the crash occurred. Shortly after impact, his cruiser burst into flames, and he burned to death after being trapped inside. The 21-year-old driver who caused the crash was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in Florida State Prison. On August 13, 2010, with less than a year left in prison, he was in a work release program and failed to return to prison at the end of his shift. He was found sitting on a park bench in his urine in a very intoxicated condition. Trooper Smith had served with the Florida Highway Patrol for five years. He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, and brother, who also served in law enforcement. Between 1985 and 1989, Trooper Smith was a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins. In each of the previous four years, he had made over 100 DUI arrests. In 2000 Governor Jeb Bush signed the Trooper Robert Smith bill into law, allowing judges to keep drunk drivers in jail until their trial.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, and brother, who also served in law enforcement.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-FL-C3ECAC96
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Smith gave the Florida Highway Patrol 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Florida. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Smith.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Florida Highway Patrol

Location Tallahassee, FL

Platform Identity fhp.fl.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 26, 1997

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Offender Sentenced to 15 years

Trooper Robert G. Smith is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In FL, 539 of 1,008 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.5% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Florida Highway Patrol, 23 of 54 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.6% of this agency's fallen.

Florida Highway Patrol

of 54 officers

42.6% Felonious

FL — Statewide

539

of 1,008 officers

53.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious