PALMETTO, Fla. (WFLA) – A Manatee County Sheriff’s deputy is recovering after a driver slammed into the back of their patrol car after failing to move over.
According to the sheriff’s office, the crash happened around 2:15 p.m. in the 8500 block of U.S. 41 South in Palmetto when a driver failed to move over despite the deputy’s emergency lights being on.
The deputy and the driver at fault were taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
The disabled car was not involved as it was about 50 feet ahead of the deputy’s vehicle at the time of impact. The driver at fault will be cited with reckless driving, per MCSO.
Investigators have not yet determined how fast the driver was going when she crashed into the deputy, or why she didn’t notice the flashing lights from the patrol cruiser.
In 2019, there were more than 20,000 citations issued statewide for drivers failing to move over with 182 resulting in crashes.
Manatee County saw at least five crashes and three injuries in 2019 due to drivers failing to obey the move over law.
