VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Two Volusia County deputies walked away from a crash overnight with minor injuries after a patrol car they were using was struck by a pickup truck believed to have been manned by a drunken driver, according to an incident report.
The deputies were investigating a crash on U.S. Highway 17 near its intersection with Lingering Lane when the impact occurred at 11:23 p.m., the report states.
[TRENDING: TRACK, MODELS, SATELLITE: Tropical Storm Fiona Moving Through Caribbean | DeBary lotto scratch-off winner loses $1K to DEO ‘overpayment’ | Become a News 6 Insider (it’s free!)]
Body-worn camera video posted by the sheriff’s office on Twitter shows the moment the patrol car was struck, as well as deputies flagging down and stopping the other vehicle: a Dodge Ram driven by 59-year-old Victor Arevalo, of DeLeon Springs.
See the video in the embedded post below.
Last night, deputies were working a traffic crash on U.S. 17 when a DUI driver crashed into the back of their patrol vehicle. Thankful both are OK! The driver was arrested for DUI with injury and refusal to submit to testing with a prior refusal. pic.twitter.com/QKVt85gJJd
— Volusia Sheriff (@VolusiaSheriff) September 17, 2022
One of the deputies is seen sitting in the front passenger seat of the patrol car while the other stands in the door jamb; the impact caused the sitting deputy to collide with the dashboard, and the standing deputy to fall and roll approximately 10 feet from the vehicle, the report states.
Upon stopping the Dodge and making contact with Arevalo, he was detained until deputies’ crash investigation could be completed.
Though deputies said Arevalo stumbled, slurred his words, smelled of alcohol, performed badly in field sobriety tests and urinated himself at least once, he refused a breath test of his blood alcohol level.
Arevalo faces charges of DUI with injury and refusal to submit to BAL testing, the report states. He was booked just before 4 a.m. Saturday at the Volusia County Branch Jail, later released at 1 p.m., records show.
Note: Due to the information provided, this map depicts the general area of the crash and not necessarily its exact location.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: