First Responders

Marine Veteran, Tampa Police Officer Killed in Crash May Have Intentionally Veered Into Path of Wrong-Way Driver

March 11, 2021Joshua Skovlund
Officer Madsen

Photos courtesy of the Tampa Police Department. Composite image by Joshua Skovlund/Coffee or Die Magazine.

Tampa Police Department Master Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen, 45, died in a car crash after apparently veering into the path of a wrong-way driver on Interstate 275 in Tampa, Florida, according to a TPD press release


At approximately 1 a.m. Tuesday, TPD received 911 calls from motorists reporting a white sedan traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on northbound I-275. Officials identified the driver as Joshua Daniel Montague, 25, of Golden, Colorado, and the white sedan was a rental. According to the press release, Madsen’s and Montague’s vehicles collided between the Hillsborough and Sligh Avenue exits, killing both. 


TPD Chief Brian Dugan said during a Tuesday press conference, based on preliminary information investigators have gathered, that they believe Madsen intentionally veered into Montague’s car to protect others.



“When you look at someone who has earned seven lifesaving awards, it’s no surprise that he would take such swift action and do this,” Dugan said. 


Madsen spent 16 years with TPD, and five years previously at two different Ohio police departments. Prior to beginning his law enforcement career, Madsen served in the US Marine Corps. He is survived by his wife, a 16-year-old son, a 12-year-old son, and a 10-year-old daughter. 


Danny Alvarez with the Tampa Police Benevolent Association told WFLA, “He served in the Marine Corps. He served overseas. He’s a decorated combat veteran. He also served in the Florida national guard. He served with three police units until he settled here at the Tampa Police Department. So service was nothing new to him.”


Thirty-two officers have died in the line of duty since the creation of the TPD. 


“The Tampa Police Department will go into a seven-day period of mourning,” the TPD press release said. “Jesse was a guardian of this city. He will never be forgotten.”


Read Next: Tulane University Police Officer Shot and Killed at Youth Basketball Game in New Orleans



Joshua Skovlund
Joshua Skovlund

Joshua Skovlund is a former staff writer for Coffee or Die. He has covered the 75th anniversary of D-Day in France, multinational military exercises in Germany, and civil unrest during the 2020 riots in Minneapolis. Born and raised in small-town South Dakota, he grew up playing football and soccer before serving as a forward observer in the US Army. After leaving the service, he worked as a personal trainer while earning his paramedic license. After five years as in paramedicine, he transitioned to a career in multimedia journalism. Joshua is married with two children. His creative outlets include Skovlund Photography and Concentrated Emotion.

More from Coffee or Die Magazine
Entertainment
‘The Gift’ Explores the Life and Legacy of Medal of Honor Recipient Jason Dunham

"The Gift" tells the story of the first Marine to receive the Medal of Honor after the Vietnam War. ...

March 24, 2023Mac Caltrider
uss milius
Intel
US Denies Chinese Claim It Drove Away American Destroyer

The U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet said that a statement from China's Southern Theatre Command that it had fo...

March 23, 2023Associated Press
ultramarathon
Military
The Speed Project: Vet Team To Run in Lawless, Invite-Only Ultramarathon

For the first time, a team of (mostly) US veterans and active-duty service members will run in The S...

March 23, 2023Jenna Biter
uranium-based ammo ammunition Ukraine UK depleted uranium
Intel
A Look At the Uranium-Based Ammo the UK Will Send to Ukraine

The British defense ministry on Monday confirmed it would provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.

March 23, 2023Associated Press
Zaporizhzhia Ukraine Russia
Intel
Ukraine: Russia Hits Apartments and Dorm, Killing Civilians

“Russia is shelling the city with bestial savagery,” President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a Telegr...

March 22, 2023Associated Press
cold brew coffee soda float
Coffee
The Bitter Barista's Cold Brew Coffee Soda Float

Today, we combine the best of both worlds with this indulgent recipe, smashing together our love of coffee and ice cream with a cold brew coffee soda float!

March 21, 2023Heather Lynn
abrams tanks ukraine
Intel
US Speeds Up Abrams Tank Delivery to Ukraine War Zone

The original plan was to send Ukraine 31 of the newer M1A2 Abrams, which could have taken a year or ...

March 21, 2023Associated Press
Coffee Or Die Photo
Intel
US: War Crimes on All Sides in Ethiopia's Tigray Conflict

The Biden administration announced Monday that it has determined all sides in the brutal conflict in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

March 20, 2023Associated Press
  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
Contact Us
  • Request a Correction
  • Write for Us
  • General Inquiries
© 2023 Coffee or Die Magazine. All Rights Reserved