ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — A Florida deputy drove his patrol vehicle over a woman who was lying on the sand at a Pinellas County beach on Wednesday, authorities said.
According to a news release from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, Deputy Todd Brien, 58, was on beach patrol at St. Pete Beach.
While speaking with several people on the beach, Brien received a call from dispatch at about 1:08 p.m. EDT advising him to investigate a 911 hangup call, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
According to the news release, Brien made a right turn in his 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe patrol car and struck Robin Diffenderfer, 23, who was lying on her back in the sand. Investigators said a tire on the front driver’s side of the patrol vehicle ran over Diffenderfer’s right and mid- to upper back area, according to Bay News 9.
Diffenderfer was taken to an area hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening, the sheriff’s office said.
Brien, who has been with the sheriff’s office since November 2013, was not injured, according to the sheriff’s office.
The crash is being investigated by the agency’s major accident investigation team, the Times reported.
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