Sunbathing Florida woman, 23, is hospitalized after sheriff’s deputy accidentally drives OVER her while he was patrolling beach
- Robin Diffenderfer, 23, was sunbathing on her back on St. Pete Beach, Tampa
- Deputy Todd Brien, 58, driving a Chevrolet Tahoe SUV ran right over her
- He made a hard right turn responding to an emergency 911 dispatch
- Ms Diffenderfer was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries
A woman sunbathing on a Florida beach was hospitalised on Wednesday after being run over by a sheriff’s deputy driving an SUV.
Robin Diffenderfer, 23, was lying on her back on St. Pete Beach, Tampa on Wednesday at 1pm when Deputy Todd Brien made a hard right turn from a parked position and drove over her body in the sand.
Deputy Brien, 58, was on patrol on the beach and chatting with several beach-goers when he got a 911 hang up call over the dispatch.
He immediately set into action, speeding off in the two-and-a-half-ton Chevrolet Tahoe.
File photo of St. Pete Beach, Florida. A woman lying on a the beach was was run over by a sheriff’s deputy driving an SUV while he responded to an emergency call
But he was unaware of the young woman sunbathing near his vehicle until his tire had rolled over her prone figure.
The front tire hit Ms Diffenderfer’s right side and rolled over her mid and upper back areas, according to Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. She was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The incident occurred just after 1pm behind 4450 Gulf Boulevard.
Deputy Brien, who has been with the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office since November 2013, was uninjured.
An investigation by the agency’s Major Accident Investigation Team into the incident is underway.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office have not made any comment so far.