HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla – A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office deputy was struck by a drunk Clearwater man early Thursday morning.
According to deputies, on Thursday at 3:51 a.m., a deputy driving his marked HCSO Chevrolet Tahoe responded to a service call when another driver collided with his vehicle.
The deputy was traveling west on College Avenue across US Highway 41 when a Hyundai SUV, driven by Eduardo Castro, 24, ran a red light and crashed into the deputy’s patrol vehicle. The deputy was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
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Castro showed signs of impairment and was arrested at the scene. He provided a breath sample at HCSO’s Central Breath Testing Unit three hours after the crash and blew a .124 and .119 BAC.
Castro is facing charges of Driving Under the Influence with Personal Damage and Personal Injury and Driving without a Valid Driver’s License.
“This incident could have easily resulted in a tragic loss of life, and it serves as an example of the potential devastation that a single reckless choice can cause. Driving under the influence is illegal and endangers everyone on the road,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Not only did this selfish individual cause a deputy to end up in the hospital, but he prevented another member of our community who was in need from getting the help they needed promptly.”
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