Trooper Puts Herself in Path of Car Speeding Toward Race

Florida Highway Patrol Master Trooper Toni Schuck steered her vehicle to the left to block the lane in which a driver was speeding toward her. Then, just as the driver steered to go around her, Schuck turned to the right. The result was an ear-splitting crash as the car slammed head-on into Schuck's SUV on Interstate 275 near Tampa Bay on Sunday morning. Both female drivers suffered serious injuries, and Schuck is being praised for her heroics. Florida Highway Patrol said Kristen Kay Watts, who had a blood alcohol level of 0.094, had been speeding her BMW sedan toward the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which was closed for a race with roughly 8,000 participants.

Watts of Sarasota had "blown past several check points, going around traffic cones, going around other officers and had engaged in high speeds" before meeting Schuck's SUV, Trooper Ken Watson said Monday, per WTVT. Schuck's dashboard-camera captured what happened next. The 26-year law enforcement veteran "put herself directly in harm's way and prevented a tragedy at the Skyway 10K Bridge Run," which was raising money for military families, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles wrote on Facebook, per the Washington Post. The department applauded Schuck's "bravery and self-sacrifice," calling her a hero. "Without question, she was the last line of defense," added Watson.

Schuck, 47, was hospitalized with a head wound and concussion, but was home recovering as of Tuesday. She "is absolutely relieved to have been available to ensure the safety of hundreds of innocent persons," FHP said, per WFLA. The 52-year-old Watts, who used a wheelchair during a Monday court appearance, faces charges including driving under the influence and reckless driving. She requested a public defender Monday, telling a judge that she's unemployed and living off money from a lawsuit. Asked if she would have difficulty coming to court, she laughed, per WTVT. "Considering I don't have a car," she said. "I'll have to fix that, I guess." (More Florida stories.)