A Manatee County (Florida) Sheriff’s deputy was turning his patrol vehicle into the agency’s operations center parking lot Sunday night (April 20, 2025) when he was hit head-on by a pickup truck.
The patrol SUV rolled over as a result of the 11:45 p.m. crash.
Nearby deputies came to the aid of the deputy in the overturned vehicle. They were able to get him out. He suffered abrasion injuries that were treated at a local hospital.
The pickup truck’s driver, identified by the sheriff’s office as 47-year-old William Thomas, was also taken to the hospital.
“After being medically cleared, Thomas was brought to the Manatee County Jail, where he consented to a breath test. The test results revealed blood alcohol concentrations of 0.279 and 0.268 grams of alcohol per 210 liters of breath. He was charged with F.S.S. 316.193(3)(c)1: Driving Under the Influence Causing Damage to Property or Injury to Another Person,” the sheriff’s office said.
A Manatee County (Florida) Sheriff's Office video shows a truck crashing head-on into a deputy's patrol vehicle (upper left).Screen Shot from Manatee County SO Video
