Brian Herr Obituary – An off-duty Polk County firefighter died early Saturday morning in a crash on I-4, according to officials. Polk County Fire Rescue identified the victim as Brian Herr, a 41-year-old firefighter and paramedic from Wesley Chapel. Herr was hired in March 2023 after relocating to Florida from Chicago. He is survived by his two sons and his mother.
“We are all grieving at the loss of Firefighter/Paramedic Heer who was just starting out on his career with Polk County Fire Rescue,” Fire Chief Hezedean A. Smith said in a statement. “Firefighter/Paramedic Herr was an outstanding member of this department. His teamwork and positive attitude shined tremendously during his short time with Polk County Fire Rescue. He will be greatly missed. Please keep his family and friends in your prayers.”
According to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the wreck involved a vehicle that crashed in the grassy median of I-4 near mile marker 50. The specifics of the crash are not yet known.
The westbound lanes of I-4 were congested as first responders cleaned up the scene, but traffic began moving again at around 10:30 a.m.