ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. — A St. Lucie County Sheriff’s deputy and another motorist were hospitalized after a crash that severely damaged a department pickup truck, WPTV reported.
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Deputy Patterson, a six-year veteran of the department, was responding to clear debris from the roadway when her marked unit, with emergency lights activated, was struck by a distracted driver who failed to yield, according to the report. The pickup truck collided with the deputy’s vehicle at high speed, causing significant damage.
“Our deputy gets there, activates their emergency lights, then out of nowhere, a vehicle following behind wasn’t paying attention and crashed into them at, you know, 60+ miles an hour,” Sheriff Keith Pearson told WPTV.
Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office captured the moment of impact, which jolted the deputy’s vehicle. Both Patterson and the driver of the truck were taken to the hospital. Patterson has since been released and is “shaken up, but very, very happy to be alive,” Pearson said.
The driver who caused the crash sustained minor injuries and was cited for violating Florida’s “Move Over” law, which requires motorists to change lanes or slow down when approaching stopped emergency vehicles, according to the report.
Pearson emphasized the severity of the crash, noting the extensive damage to both vehicles.
“This isn’t a fender bender. This is a full-size pickup truck. The back half of it completely gone,” he said.
Pearson urged drivers to stay focused and move over for emergency vehicles to prevent similar incidents.
“We have two totaled vehicles that all could have been prevented had that driver just been paying attention,” he said.
The crash remains under investigation.
