She was driving while shopping on Amazon. Then she hit a Florida sheriff, video shows
Moral of the story: Don’t text and drive.
You may hit a sheriff, and you really, really don’t want to do that.
A Florida woman is in custody after hitting a top law enforcement officer who was out on a bike ride.
Beloved Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood ended up in the emergency room Thursday, the victim of a hit and run, he announced on Twitter.
In a sometimes amusing thread, Chitwood recounted to his followers what happened: He was riding around his Port Orange neighborhood about 4 p.m. when a car struck him from behind and left the scene.
“Next thing I know, boy, I got hit hard from the rear,” Chitwood said. “I go flying off the bike and all I could tell you was it was a burgundy-colored car, because the mirror was impaled in my back.”
He also posted footage captured from a Waste Pro truck’s dashcam, which shows the accident in real time, then the top cop lying on the ground.
Chitwood got patched up at a nearby hospital with a bad case of road rash, a cut that required 10 stitches and a broken leg.
The sheriff updated his followers later in the day saying the suspect, who was reportedly distracted on her phone when she struck him, was apprehended.
“The young lady who hit me is in custody on a charge of leaving the scene of an accident with serious bodily injury. She says she was shopping on Amazon on her phone when she hit me. Please let this be a warning to put your phones down while you’re driving before you kill someone.”
Chitwood met with the Waste Pro driver to thank him: “I’m proud to have you in our community,” he said leaning on a crutch, reports Central Florida station News 6.
He also reached out to the many locals who wished him well on social media: “Thank you all again for your messages and kind words... I consider myself lucky to be back on my feet today.”
In August, Chitwood took his first day off in 33 years due to catching coronavirus.
This story was originally published March 19, 2021 at 5:26 PM.
