A Florida City Police sergeant was hospitalized Tuesday night after a suspected drunk driver crashed head-on into his cruiser, officials said.
The crash happened shortly after 9:30 p.m. in the area of 12th Street and North Krome Avenue, as officers were responding to an unrelated call, Florida City Police said.
The sergeant was sitting in his marked vehicle on the shoulder when a silver Honda Civic crashed into him.
Authorities said other officers at the scene had to jump out of the path of the oncoming car to avoid being hit, and were able to assist the sergeant.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
The sergeant was airlifted to Jackson South Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries and was in stable condition.
Police said the driver, 19-year-old Giovanni Mendez-Simon, was detained at the scene.
According to an arrest report, Mendez-Simon had the smell of alcohol on his breath, bloodshot and watery eyes and slurred speech.
Local
When he was tested, he had blood alcohol levels of .164 and .161, well over Florida's legal limit of .08, the report said.
A records check also showed Mendez-Simon didn't have a driver's license, the report said.
Mendez-Simon was booked into jail on charges including DUI, DUI with damage to property or person and driving without a valid license.
Further information was not available. Check back with NBC6 for updates.
