Drunk driver backs into deputy's patrol car during traffic stop on July 4

“The quickest way to the Green Roof Inn and lose your freedom on July 4 weekend is to drive drunk and back into a patrol car,” Sheriff Rick Staly said.

By Jonathan Simmons
| 2:58 p.m. July 6, 2020

Palm Coast Observer
News

A Flagler County Sheriff's Office deputy was at the Interstate 95 entrance ramp off Matanzas Woods Parkway when a Range Rover almost struck him head-on.

The deputy turned on his emergency lights to stop the SUV. The driver pulled over, but then put the SUV in reverse and crashed into the front of the deputy's patrol car. The impact damaged both vehicles.

The driver, a 39-year-old Bunnell man, failed field sobriety exercises and smelled of alcohol, according to another deputy's report.

“The quickest way to the Green Roof Inn and lose your freedom on July 4 weekend is to drive drunk and back into a patrol car,” Sheriff Rick Staly said in an FCSO news release.

Staly added that he was glad that neither the driver nor the deputy were seriously injured, as the incident "could have had a tragic outcome."

"Our deputies are on patrol and ensuring our roads and waterways are safe for everyone to enjoy this weekend," Staly said. "If you drive drunk you are going to go to jail.”

The driver and the deputy were both taken to AdventHealth Palm Coast to be evaluated for injuries, and were released after treatment, according to the news release. The driver was arrested and charged with driving under the influence.