PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. — Charlotte County commissioners have approved renaming part of U.S. 41 in honor of a deputy killed in the line of duty.
On Tuesday, commissioners voted unanimously to designate the stretch of Tamiami Trail between Melbourne Street and Church Street as Sergeant Elio Diaz Memorial Highway.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the renaming:
Diaz was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Port Charlotte in December 2024. A roadside memorial still stands outside the gas station where the deputy was fatally wounded.
The board’s action makes official in Charlotte County the honorary designation passed earlier this year by the Florida Legislature.
“By dedicating this portion of the highway, people are going to see him every day they pass through there,” Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell said. “They're going to see Elio Diaz, and they're going to know the sacrifice that he had in protecting this community.”
The resolution took effect immediately, and signs marking the designation are expected in the coming weeks.
