Florida nurse Corrinne Blue charged with homicide of three on-duty officers

A nurse arrested in connection with a collision that claimed the lives of three Florida police officers may have been suffering from "brain fog" induced by a high-calorie meal and work exhaustion.

Corrinne Blue, 31, was arrested on April 30 and charged with three counts of vehicular homicide following the November 2024 incident.

The victims have been identified as Corporal Luis Paez Jr., Deputy Ignacio “Dan” Diaz, and Deputy Ralph “Butch” Waller of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

The tragedy occurred at approximately 9:15am on November 21, 2024, as the officers were parked on their motorcycles along State Road 80.

According to a warrant affidavit, Blue had just completed a 12-hour shift in a telemetry unit and had been awake for approximately 18 of the 24 hours preceding the crash.

Investigators noted that Blue stopped at a McDonald's roughly 25 minutes before the collision. A human factors expert cited in the document suggested that the "high-fat and high-carbohydrate content" of the food may have induced "postprandial fatigue," a state characterised by cognitive impairment.

While toxicology reports confirmed that Blue had no drugs or alcohol in her system, witnesses described her as appearing "extremely tired" at the scene.

Blue initially told officers she was not rushed and was following GPS instructions to find a route home when she attempted to pass a slow-moving vehicle.

State Attorney Alexcia Cox stated the officers’ lives were "tragically taken by a reckless driver." Florida officials have praised the fallen deputies as heroes, noting the profound pain felt by the community. Blue remains under investigation as the legal process moves forward.