Fla. Deputy Injured When Driver Rear-Ends Cruiser at Crash Scene

A driver struck a Hillsborough County sheriff's corporal's parked cruiser while she was helping at an earlier Interstate 75 crash, spinning the unmarked patrol vehicle into a concrete barrier.
Source Officer.com News
Oct. 21, 2026
2 min read
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What to Know

  • A Hillsborough County sheriff's Office corporal was injured when a driver rear-ended her parked cruiser while she was assisting at an earlier crash on Interstate 75.
  • The impact spun the unmarked patrol vehicle, which had its emergency lights activated, into a concrete barrier.
  • The deputy and the other driver were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, and the Florida Highway Patrol is investigating.
Hillsborough County, FL, Sheriff's Office
The damage to the rear of a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office cruiser

Body camera images captured the aftermath Monday when a driver rear-ended a Hillsborough County deputy's cruiser that was stopped with its emergency lights activated while helping with an earlier crash along interstate 75.

Key Takeaways

  • Most crashes involved responding to calls or patrols, with some incidents linked to high-speed pursuits and distracted driving.
  • A notable number of struck-by incidents occurred during night hours and at crash scenes.

Check out this story for more about traffic-related dangers.

A Florida deputy was injured Monday when her cruiser was rear-ended while she helping with a previous crash.

The incident happened just after 11:30 p.m. when Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Niomi Bruce had responded to an earlier crash along Interstate 75, the agency stated in a social media post. Although Bruce was in an unmarked cruiser, her emergency lights had been on when the crash happened. 

According to WPLG-TV, a 21-year-old woman from Iowa had tried to avoid Bruce's parked cruiser by veering into the middle lane of traffic, but the driver still struck the back of the patrol vehicle. The crash's impact spun the cruiser into a concrete barrier.

"The damage makes clear how much worse this could have been," the sheriff's office stated in a social media post, which included body camera images from the crash scene.

Bruce and the other driver were both rushed to the hospital, and their injuries weren't considered life-threatening. Sheriff Chad Chronister visited Bruce on Tuesday, and "she was remarkably, in high spirits" before she was released from the hospital.

"We’re thankful she’s recovering and will soon be back with her HCSO family," the sheriff's office stated.

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating the crash, and no details were released if the driver will face any charges in the incident.

About the Author

Joe Vince
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Joe Vince

Joining Endeavor Business Media in 2018, Joe has worked on the company's city services publications. He began working at OFFICER.com as the assistant editor. Before starting at Endeavor, Joe had worked for a variety of print and online news outlets, including the Indianapolis Star, the South Bend Tribune, Reddit and Patch.com.
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