A local business owner specializing in handcrafted wooden flags recently delivered a personalized gift to help lift the spirits of an Ocala Police Department sergeant who was seriously injured in a head-on collision this past weekend.
Zachary Smith, owner of Heroic Hands Woodworks, decided to do something special for OPD Sergeant Ron Malone after learning about an on-duty incident that landed him in the hospital.
On Saturday, August 26, a driver fled through a crash scene, fatally struck a pedestrian, and intentionally crashed into Sergeant Malone’s patrol car.
The pedestrian, identified as 26-year-old James Thompson, Jr., was transported to a local hospital, where he sadly died from his injuries. The driver involved in the crash, 44-year-old Kristopher Kent Winningham, also sustained fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at a local hospital.
After the crash, Sergeant Malone was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. Two days later, on the morning of August 28, OPD provided an update on his condition: “We’re relieved to inform our community that Sergeant Ron Malone, the officer who was injured in the head-on collision, will be discharged from the Intensive Care Unit today. However, he will remain in the hospital for further treatment, and he has a long recovery journey ahead of him.”
When Smith heard about Sergeant Malone’s hospitalization, he crafted a special wooden flag to express his gratitude for the sergeant’s service to the local community, and to extend warm wishes for a speedy recovery.
“Thank you, Zachary, for this generous and thoughtful gift,” stated the Ocala Police Department in a social media post on Thursday, August 31.
The wooden flag was delivered to Sergeant Malone in the hospital, and he loves it.
Earlier this year, Sergeant Malone traveled to Sanford for a motorcycle competition, where he earned the “Brian Harrelson” Traveling First-Place Trophy and the title of Fastest Motorcycle and Rider in Florida for all of the Florida Association of Shrine Motor Corp.
An avid motorcyclist, Sergeant Malone has over 20 years of competitive riding experience, and he has taken part in over 50 motorcycle competitions. When he is off-duty, he is often found riding and training on his 2016 Harley Davidson (Peace Officer Limited Edition) touring bike, which is nicknamed “THUMPER.”