ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. (WFLA) — A deputy assigned to patrol St. Pete Beach hit and ran over a beachgoer on Wednesday afternoon, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office says the deputy-involved crash happened just after 1 p.m. Deputies were called to Gulf Boulevard on St. Pete Beach to investigate.
According to a news release from the sheriff’s office, a 58-year-old deputy was on beach patrol and was parked in his fully-marked 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. The deputy was talking to several pedestrians on the beach when, according to the sheriff’s office, he was dispatched to a 911 hang-up call at a different location.
When the deputy made a right turn from his parked position, the sheriff’s office says he hit a 23-year-old woman who was lying on her back in the sand. Deputies investigating the incident say the front tire on the driver’s side of the SUV drove over the woman’s right side and her “mid to upper back area.”
The 23-year-old was taken to the hospital. The sheriff’s office says her injuries are not life-threatening.
The deputy involved was not injured.
The sheriff’s office says the investigation into the crash is ongoing.
