TAMPA, Fla. – Danyelle Madsen, wife of the Tampa Police Officer who sacrificed his life crashing into a wrong way driver last year, is suing the Florida Department of Transportation and one of its contractors.

Lawyers for Master Officer Jesse Madsen’s family are pointing to a wrong way detection device at the offramp to Busch Boulevard. In the lawsuit, they claim it malfunctioned, which led to Officer Madsen taking drastic actions that cost him his life.

The incident happened on March 9, 2021. Madsen was traveling north on I-275 when he aimed his cruiser to collide with a man driving the wrong way. The head on collision killed them both. Yarerellys Ruiz was driving behind Officer Madsen when the crash happened and his actions save her life. She spoke emotionally about how that incident has changed her life in more ways than one now.

“I know it’s affected her (Mrs. Madsen) in so many different levels because she lost a husband,” Ruiz said. “And because of what he did that night, I’m still here. My children still have me, but it’s a very difficult subject because it has affected me too in a way that I don’t drive at night.”

Danyelle Madsen’s lawyers are suing the Florida Department of Transportation and the company it contracted to maintain the wrong way detection system TransCore, claiming the system malfunctioned.

“The non-economic damages will be whatever amount of money the jury thinks should be awarded,” said Madsen’s attorney Steve Yerrid, “meaning in my judgement, the greater the enormity of the loss, the greater the enormity of the award should be.”

FDOT officials said they won't comment on pending cases. Officials at TransCore have not responded to our email for comment.