Hero cop stops DUI driver from slamming into 10K runners on Skyway Bridge (Video)
On March 6, Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Master Trooper Toni Schuck put herself directly in harm’s way and prevented a tragedy at the Skyway 10K Bridge Run.
A drunk driver traveling at a high rate of speed was heading toward the Skyway 10K route and thousands of participating runners. The quick-thinking Trooper Schuck responded and drove her vehicle directly into the path of the oncoming drunk driver.
The Skyway 10K is a 6.2-mile race across the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge. All funds raised from racer registrations go to help the Armed Forces Families Foundation. More than 8,000 racers made the trek across the bridge that day and many of them were in danger of being slammed by the DUI driver.
Although the heroic Trooper suffered serious injuries in the crash, she is expecting to make a complete recovery, according to WCVB.
“Thank you for your bravery and self-sacrifice, Trooper Schuck. We wish you a speedy recovery.” ~ Florida Highway Patrol
Check out the Dashcam video below from Trooper Schuck’s Chevrolet Tahoe which shows the moment she maneuvered her patrol SUV to stop the speeding DUI driver from reaching thousands of runners participating in the Skyway 10K race.
The video shows Kristen Kay Watts, 52, of Sarasota driving her BMW north on I-275 at a high speed when she approached a road closure that was put in place for the Armed Forces Skyway 10K Race on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. ~ WFLA
Following the crash, Watts was arrested by the FHP and transported to the Manatee County Jail on a $52,000 bond. She was charged with driving under the influence with serious injury, two counts of DUI with property damage and two counts of reckless driving involving injury and property damage, according to The Herald-Tribune.
As Watts made her first appearance [in court], she told a judge she is unemployed and is living off money from a lawsuit. As she faced multiple charges, including DUI, she laughed.
“Would you have any trouble coming to court?” asked the public defender. She responded with a laugh saying, “Considering I don’t have a car. I’ll have to fix that, I guess.” ~ Fox 13 News
See the video.
(Source: FHP)
~ Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Connect with Richard on Facebook and Twitter
