ORMOND BEACH, Fla. – A woman is still recovering after being run over by a pickup truck while sunbathing in a designated driving lane on a Volusia County beach, authorities said.
A 911 caller reported the incident as it happened, telling dispatchers, “A lady just got ran over by a truck… I don’t know what address we are at… we’re at the beach.”
According to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the woman was lying in an area of the beach where vehicles are allowed to drive, a section of sand that can appear similar to the rest of the shoreline.
Body camera audio from deputies described the victim’s injuries, noting there were tire marks on her torso and abdomen.
Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said the crash happened in March, when the driver of a Chevy Silverado made an illegal turn and struck the woman.
“We had a woman who was laying sunbathing in the traffic lane, and she was run over and she suffered serious injuries,” Chitwood said. “The driver stayed on location. Eventually, an investigation showed that he wasn’t wearing his glasses. He made an illegal turn, and he ran over this poor woman who was laying in the traffic lanes.”
The woman was taken to a hospital with serious injuries and remains in recovery months later, authorities said.
The driver stayed at the scene and was cited for traffic violations.
The incident is not the first time someone has been struck on Volusia County beaches, where vehicles and pedestrians share the sand.
Chitwood said beach driving is expected to continue and urged both drivers and pedestrians to remain alert.
“It’s incumbent upon pedestrians and drivers to understand,” he said. “You have to have your head on a swivel. Windows down. No speed greater than 10 miles an hour.”