FHP Trooper Toni Schuck
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper who put her life on the line by steering her cruiser into the path of an accused drunk driver to save lives is back on duty after a lengthy medical recovery. On the morning of March 6th, thousands of runners were participating in the Skyway 10K run on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge spanning Tampa Bay. It was approximately 8:45 am, with runners on the closed bridge, when the Florida Highway Patrol first spotted an intoxicated driver plow through the closed toll plaza on the Manatee County side.
Trooper Toni Schuck was one of two troopers who received the radio call to intercept the driver. In Florida Highway Patrol dashcam footage, you can see her patrol vehicle driving between two lanes as it approaches the rogue driver’s car before ending in a near head-on collision. Schuck was injured in the crash and the other driver was later charged with two counts of DUI and had a reported blood-alcohol level more than three times the legal limit.
Schuck, a 47-year-old mother of two and a 26-year veteran of FHP, initially took some time away from the patrol to recover from her injuries. She has since become widely acclaimed for her brave actions, receiving keys to the city in both St. Petersburg and Bradenton. March 22nd is now officially celebrated as “Trooper Toni Schuck Day” in Manatee County.
Shuck officially returned to duty on June 14, fully operational once more with the FHP. Despite our best efforts to prepare our community gatherings for every foreseeable eventuality, this story shows we cannot always predict the worst-case scenario and so are faced with the unforeseen in real-time. Trooper Schuck was able to improvise, adapt and overcome in order to protect those runners. She put her life on the line to protect her community from the unpredictable, at great personal risk but without hesitation. We thank her and the Florida Highway Patrol for their bravery.
LMA Newsletter of 6-27-22
