Police: Florida Officer Fell Asleep Before Overturning Patrol Car

A Lakeland, FL, police officer who overturned his cruiser on County Line Road fell asleep while he was driving, the police department reported Thursday.

Camilo Almeida, 32, was driving his police vehicle at about 6:50 a.m. on July 13 when the crash occurred. He lost control of the car, entered the west shoulder of the road, then hit a culvert and overturned, Florida Highway Patrol troopers reported. Almeida was taken to Lakeland Regional Medical Center with minor injuries. The cruiser was totaled.

Almeida returned to light duty on Monday, said Gary Gross, a spokesman with the police department.

He had worked the previous night when a carjacking suspect was shot in the leg after firing shots at a pursuing Lakeland police officer.

"He got off late from a 12-hour shift and couldn’t sleep that night from thinking about the shooting," Gross said.

An accident review board found the accident to be preventable. The report will be reviewed by Almeida’s superiors, who will determine if Almeida will face discipline.