- Deputy crashed a patrol cruiser while driving 92 mph without an emergency.
- The $73,000 police SUV was totaled, but both deputy and K-9 survived.
- Sheriff plans new speed-tracking measures to curb unauthorized speeding.
He was “driving like an idiot.” Those are the words of Sheriff Mike Chitwood of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office after one of his deputies crashed a cruiser into a pond. Reports indicate that the officer wasn’t responding to a call, but he was going over 90 mph when the wreck happened. In the end, he cost taxpayers approximately $73,000. On top of all that, the department is now going to begin tracking deputies’ speeds as a result.
According to the Sheriff, the deputy lost control of his patrol SUV while driving down a highway ramp near Interstate 95 before plunging into a retention pond. Dashcam footage captured from nearby shows the cruiser entering the water after leaving the roadway. The sheriff’s office said the deputy was traveling 92 mph at the time of the crash despite not responding to a call. When asked by FOX 35 what the deputy had been responding to, Chitwood’s answer was blunt: “Nothing.”
Everyone Walked, The Cruiser Didn’t
Fortunately, neither the deputy nor his K-9 partner suffered serious injuries. The patrol vehicle, however, wasn’t nearly as lucky. Officials say it was declared a total loss. Chitwood was unusually direct when discussing the incident, saying the deputy’s actions could easily have ended in tragedy. “You caused $73,000 worth of damage,” Chitwood said. “You could have killed yourself. You could have killed your partner. You could have killed anybody that was out there on the roadway.”
More: Two Police Officers Arrested After Crashing Marked Patrol Cars While Driving Drunk
The deputy has since been removed from his specialized assignments, including the SWAT and K-9 units, while the internal investigation continues. Additional disciplinary action remains possible. Public criticism of police driving often focuses on pursuits or emergency responses that end badly. This case stands out because, according to the sheriff himself, there wasn’t any emergency to justify the speed in the first place.
Tracking Deputies Instead Of Everyone Else
The crash is also prompting a policy change that may prove more significant than the disciplinary action against a single deputy. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is developing a reporting system that will regularly track deputies’ driving speeds and provide that information to supervisors.
If a deputy is found speeding without a legitimate emergency or other valid justification, they’ll be expected to explain their actions. If they can’t, disciplinary measures will follow. “It’s unfortunate that we have to do this with professionals,” Chitwood said. “But, if you don’t act professional, then I’m going to have to make you act professional.”
Police agencies have increasingly embraced technology that tracks the public, from automated license plate readers to connected surveillance systems. Those tools have often sparked debates over privacy and oversight. Tracking government employees operating publicly funded vehicles on public roads, however, is a very different proposition.
One of the most common complaints directed at law enforcement is the perception that some officers behave as though traffic laws apply to everyone except themselves. A system that verifies whether deputies are speeding, and whether they actually have a lawful reason to do so, could help reinforce the idea that the people enforcing the rules are expected to follow them too.
