SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. -- The city of Clermont is mourning the loss of a police officer who died in a crash that state troopers say he caused. Every day, Officer Robert Sayers, 39, rode 46 miles on his motorcycle, from Clermont to Spring Hill, because he couldn't sell his home and move closer to work.

The front of Clermont Police Headquarters on Thursday was a memorial, with flowers, a department motorcycle and a photograph of Officer Robert Sayers.

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AT THE SCENE: Off-Duty Clermont Police Officer Killed In Crash

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"One of my captains once asked him what brought him to Clermont and he smiled and said, 'Me motorbike!'" Chief Steve Graham said.

"Everyone recognized him with his British accent. Of course, he's from the UK. Only officer we have from the UK. He will be sorely missed," Officer Jeremy Kevitt said.

The 39-year-old patrolman had been with the Clermont Police Department for two years. He was killed late Wednesday afternoon while riding his personal motorcycle on State Road 50 through Sumter County.

State troopers say Sayers rear-ended a car that was in a line of vehicles that were stopped behind a school bus. The driver of the car was not hurt and, even though troopers say Sayers was wearing a helmet, he died at the scene of the accident.

Sayers was on his way to his home in Hernando County, a 50-mile ride from Clermont.

"It's fatiguing to have to drive to Spring Hill at the beginning and end of your shift," Chief Graham said.

Chief Graham said Sayers had worked a regular 10-hour traffic shift Wednesday that included a funeral escort. The Highway Patrol has not said whether excessive speed was involved in the crash and, in Clermont, the chief does not believe Sayers' activity on the job that day was a factor.

"I don't think it was a case of him being overworked," Chief Graham said.

The city of Clermont will pay a life insurance benefit to the officer's family. The state pays a special benefit only when an officer dies in the line of duty. That's why the local police union has set up a special nationwide fund through Bank of America where people can drop off donations. It's called the Robert Sayers Memorial Family Fund.

Sayers is survived by his wife and two young children.