A young woman’s trip from Florida to the beach turned into a nightmare when a deputy sheriff’s deputy ran over her while sunbathing, authorities said.
Robin Elaine Defenderfer, 23, was soaking up St. Pete Beach at around 1pm on Wednesday when Pinelas County Deputy Todd Brian received a call to 911 while patrolling the pristine sandy and emerald green waters, the Pinela County Sheriff’s Office said.
Brian, who was talking to several beachgoers at the time, was then sent elsewhere in his fully marked 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe after a 911 call, the sheriff’s office said.
“Deputy Brian made a right turn from his parked position when he hit [Diffenderfer] while she was lying on her back in the sand, “department officials said in a statement late Wednesday.
The front tire on the driver’s side of Brian’s SUV ran over Defenderfer’s right side and “from the middle to the upper back,” lawmakers said.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing. Zack Wittman / Bloomberg via Getty Images
She was rushed to hospital but was expected to survive, lawmakers said.
Brian, 58, who was hired by the department in November 2013, was not injured in the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
The investigation into the incident continues. A spokeswoman for the department told The Post that no further information was available early Thursday, including an update on the victim’s condition.
Pinelas County Deputy Todd Brian was not injured in the incident. Jeffrey Greenberg / Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Attempts to reach Defenderfer from Jacksonville were unsuccessful.
The Pinelas County Sheriff posted a message about the incident on his Facebook page, where several commentators joined in the unusual incident.
“Maybe you’re not driving huge vehicles on the beach?” A woman suggested.
Robin Elaine Defenderfer was rushed to hospital but is expected to survive. Ivy Ceballo / Tampa Bay Times via AP
Another woman said she thought Brian should be fired because of the incident.
“He should not be so forgotten that he is not aware of the pedestrians around him on the beach,” she wrote. “Being in a marked police car is no excuse.”
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