A deputy in the Florida Keys was airlifted to a Miami hospital after his patrol car was struck by an alleged drunk driver during a traffic stop of another vehicle, officials said.
The incident happened around 11 p.m. on Tuesday after the 26-year-old Monroe County Sheriff's Office deputy had stopped a driver on U.S. 1 near Mile Marker 87.
Officials said the deputy was walking between his patrol car and the other vehicle when the alleged drunk driver hit his patrol car, pinning him between both vehicles.
Responding deputies were able to free him, and he was airlifted to Jackson Memorial Hospital with lower body injuries. He remained in stable condition Wednesday, officials said.
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The 20-year-old Homestead man the deputy had stopped was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and later booked into jail on a warrant for failure to appear in court.
The driver who struck the deputy's car, 26-year-old Alexandra Marlene Baraga, of Minnesota, wasn't injured in the crash.
She was arrested on multiple DUI-related charges after she had a blood alcohol level of .310, well above Florida's legal limit of .08, officials said.
The injured deputy's name wasn't released but officials said he's been with the sheriff's office since February 2022.
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"This a difficult day for everyone at the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office. One of our brave Deputies has been seriously injured in the line of duty because of the thoughtless actions of a drunk driver," Sheriff Rick Ramsay said in a statement. "For the cost of a taxi or rideshare, she jeopardized the lives of everyone on the road."
