A Florida Highway Patrol trooper made a split-second decision that may have saved a Polk County deputy’s life Monday.
The deputy was putting down spike strips at a highway exit to catch a driver during a police chase, according to FHP. The driver lost control, careening into the grassy median between the ramps.
Video shows the vehicle was heading toward the deputy when a Charger being driven by an FHP trooper crashed into the out-of-control vehicle to stop it, WFLA reports.
No one was injured.
The driver, 20-year-old Nain Nolasco of Mulberry, and a 16-year-old boy were taken into custody at the scene.
“Initially, my reaction is ‘Wow, that was extremely brave, extremely courageous, and extremely dangerous,’” said Danny Alvarez, general counsel for Tampa’s Police Benevolent Association.
In February, Pinellas County Deputy Michael Magli was killed by a drunken driver evading police as the officer deployed spikes to end the chase, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
