HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office corporal is back home recovering after a vehicle slammed into her patrol car Monday night while she was helping at an earlier wreck on Interstate 75.
The sheriff’s office identified the deputy as Cpl. Niomi Bruce. She was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where Sheriff Chad Chronister went to see her. The sheriff described her as being in good spirits, and the agency said she is expected to return to duty.
Photos the sheriff’s office shared online showed heavy damage to the patrol vehicle, and the agency said the wreckage showed how much worse the outcome could have been. The Florida Highway Patrol is handling the crash investigation, and no details on the other driver or any charges had been released.
The sheriff’s office used the crash to remind drivers to slow down and change lanes when they see flashing lights on the side of the road.
That is the law in Florida. The state Move Over law requires drivers to shift a lane away from emergency, service, utility and disabled vehicles stopped along the road. When changing lanes is not safe, drivers must drop to 20 mph under the posted limit, or to 5 mph on roads posted at 20 mph or less.
Since Jan. 1, 2025, the law has also covered any vehicle stopped on the shoulder with hazard lights, flares or emergency signs showing. State highway safety figures count 205 crashes and more than 17,500 tickets in 2024 tied to drivers who failed to move over. Violations bring a fine, fees and points on a driver’s license, and the state says drivers in their 20s are the most likely to break the rule.
Section: More Tampa FL crime news
Filed under: Tampa FL Traffic News
