Stretch of road dedicated to fallen Orange County Deputy Norm Lewis

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — A portion of Silver Star Road was dedicated to fallen Orange County Deputy First Class Norman Lewis during a ceremony Wednesday morning.

The stretch of road will be named Deputy First Class Norman Lewis Memorial Highway.

The road designation sign was placed along Silver Star Road near North Pine Hills Road in Orange County's Pine Hills neighborhood.

Lewis was nicknamed "Gentle Giant." He stood 6 feet 5 inches, weighed 300 pound and played football for the UCF Knights.

"If you met Norman, he had a personality that was ingratiating. He had a gentle heart, a gentle spirit," said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings.

"What Norman started, mama Norma is here to finish," said his mother, Norma Lewis.

On Monday, another portion of that road was dedicated to Orlando police Lt. Debra Clayton on what would have been her 43rd birthday.

The road designation sign was placed at Princeton Street and North John Young Parkway in Orlando.

Markeith Loyd is accused of fatally shooting Clayton at an Orlando Walmart at that intersection in January.

Lewis, an 11-year veteran, was fatally struck by a driver who crashed into his motorcycle while he was helping to search for Loyd.

Loyd was arrested after a nine-day manhunt. His trial for Clayton's case hasn't been scheduled yet.

Loyd is also accused of fatally shooting Sade Dixon, his pregnant ex-girlfriend, in December. His trial in that case is scheduled to begin Sept. 11, 2018.

"Every day, as people drive by this location, it's an opportunity for people to remember what happened here and why it happened," Demings said during Wednesday's dedication.

Cox Media Group