ORLANDO, Fla. – A Florida state trooper was uninjured early Monday when a DUI driver struck a patrol vehicle on Interstate 4 in Orange County, authorities said.
The crash happened around 12:30 a.m. near State Road 408
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The FHP posted on X that a “DUI driver crashed into one of our Troopers during a traffic stop.”
A photo posted by the FHP shows a patrol vehicle with damage to the passenger-side rear quarter-panel, with a tire lying nearby.
The post said the trooper was not hurt, “but it could have ended tragically.”
According to an arrest report, the trooper was conducting a traffic stop when he was struck by a Hyundai Elantra. The driver, identified as Enrique Morales Chavez, told troopers that he had been drinking and that he was going home, the report said.
Troopers said his eyes appeared glassy and bloodshot and that he smelled of alcohol.
Morales Chavez was arrested and faces a charge of DUI with damage to property or person.
“This Labor Day, celebrate responsibly. Don’t drink and drive. Always choose a sober ride,” the FHP said.