HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The mother of the road ranger who was killed about two weeks ago is speaking out again and pushing for change.
Investigators say 24-year-old Antonio Marazita was helping at the scene of a crash when a suspected drunk driver struck and killed him.
The suspect remains in jail. Antonio's mother said she is determined to make sure no other family has to experience the pain she is living through.
“He is missed so much to the point where it is just a big hole,” Joe Marazita said.
She said she is still struggling to understand how her son’s life was taken so suddenly. She describes the 24 year old as kind, selfless and someone who loved helping others.
“It’s been hard. He was a good kid. He had a bright future in front of him,” Marazita said.
She said his dream was to one day become a police officer, but that he took great pride in his job as a road ranger.
“He put his life on the line and now he doesn’t have a life,” Marazita said.
Now she is turning her grief into action, calling for tougher penalties for impaired drivers. She also wants to see stronger enforcement of Florida’s move over law.
Marazita wants to remind people that the law does not just apply to police, Fire and EMS. It also protects road rangers who put their lives on the line every day to help drivers.
“I worry about the other rangers when they go to work, and it’s not something that a mom should have to worry about,” Marazita said.
She said she hopes her son’s story will encourage drivers to slow down, move over, and never get behind the wheel impaired.
Marazita is also working to create Antonios Law, which would expand protections for road rangers. She said she is reaching out to lawmakers to turn that effort into legislation.
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From Brandon to Plant City and Sun City Center, Keely McCormick is dedicated to helping people who live in East Hillsborough County. If you have concerns about new development, access to needed resources, or the roads in your neighborhood, share your ideas with Keely below.
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