A Florida trooper, Toni Schuck, drove her patrol car directly into a drunk driver who was speeding toward a 10K race route where thousands of runners were partaking.
Dashcam footage shows the exact moment when Master Trooper Toni Schuck put herself in danger on I-275 near Tampa Bay.
The drunk driver shown in the footage was speeding straight toward the Sunshine Skyway bridge, where hundreds of people were running to raise money for military families. The drunk driver has also been engaging in high-speed pursuits.
Aid Trooper Ken Watson said, “This driver had blown past several check points, going around traffic cones, going around other officers and had engaged in high speeds.”
Schuck is seen swerving directly into the drunk driver’s lane and then crashing head-on.
🚨HERO ALERT🚨
Yesterday, a drunk driver was heading toward the Skyway 10K route and FHP Trooper Toni Schuck selflessly placed her vehicle directly in the path of the drunk driver – preventing a tragedy. Thank you for your service, Trooper Schuck. We wish you a speedy recovery. pic.twitter.com/JDYd80sn3C
— FLHSMV (@FLHSMV) March 7, 2022
Schuck and the drunk driver, later to be discovered as 52-year-old Kristen Kay Watts, both suffered major injuries. Schuck is now recovering from a head wound and a concussion at home with her family.
The FHP said, “Thank you for your bravery and self-sacrifice, Trooper Schuck. We wish you a speedy recovery.”
Watts was processed into the Manatee County jail on a $52,000 bond and faces serious charges such as DUI-serious injury, two counts of reckless driving including injury and property damage, and two counts of DUI property damage.
As she was wheeled into jail she said, “I’ll need the public defender.”
She said to the judge that she was unemployed and living off money from a lawsuit. She laughed when she was charged with multiple charges including DUI.
When the public defender asked her, “would you have any trouble coming to court,” she replied, “Considering I don’t have a car. I’ll have to fix that, I guess.”
During a presentation to commend Schuck, she said, “Every day since this happened, I’ve thought about it. You know, you go through the what-ifs, …but I was the last officer, I knew that, I knew it was me. So if it wasn’t me to get her to stop, then who? I don’t know.”
