A drunk driver was headed toward a 10K race, police say. A trooper used her patrol car to protect the runners

Court records show her blood alcohol level was 0.094; the legal limit for drivers in Florida is 0.08

Schuck and the driver, Kristen Kay Watts, both survived the crash, law enforcement said (Getty Images)

The interstate highway in Manatee County, Fla., was empty Sunday morning but for a BMW sedan barreling toward the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. The road had been closed for a 10K race, but the person behind the wheel, swerving and speeding, ignored the traffic cones and detour signals, the Florida Highway Patrol said. Instead, she kept on driving.

That was until Master Trooper Toni Schuck spotted the car headed her way and maneuvered her patrol SUV “directly in the path of the oncoming driver,” according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

Within seconds, the two cars met head-on in a thunderous crash, dashboard-camera footage shows.

Schuck and the driver, Kristen Kay Watts, both survived the crash, law enforcement said. Watts, 52, faces five charges, including reckless driving and driving under the influence. Court records show her blood alcohol level was 0.094; the legal limit for drivers in Florida is 0.08.

Watts’s public defender did not immediately respond to The Washington Post’s request for comment late Tuesday.

Schuck, who was injured and hospitalized after the collision, is being called a hero for potentially saving the lives of runners and race volunteers.

“Florida Highway Patrol Master Trooper Toni Schuck put herself directly in harm’s way and prevented a tragedy at the Skyway 10K Bridge Run,” the department said in a Facebook post. “ . . . Thank you for your bravery and self-sacrifice, Trooper Schuck. We wish you a speedy recovery.”

In anticipation of the Armed Forces Families Foundation Skyway 10K race on Sunday, law enforcement blocked off Interstate 275 toward the bridge, which stretches over Tampa Bay to St. Petersburg. Detour signs signaled that drivers should reroute onto U.S. 41.

About 8,000 people ran the race, according to a tweet from event organizers. There were also many volunteers, support staffers and spectators.

Around 8:45 a.m., Watts allegedly ignored the detour sign, drove around barricades and evaded law enforcement officers trying to stop her, WFLA reported. She continued speeding northbound on the highway until Schuck spotted the car coming toward her, dash-cam footage shows. In an attempt to stop Watts from possibly injuring people at the race, Schuck drove toward the BMW and then quickly positioned her SUV in anticipation of the collision.

“While the crash was severe, I know the injured Trooper who is currently receiving medical care as I author this email, is absolutely relieved to have been available to ensure the safety of hundreds of innocent persons,” the FHP said in a statement to WFLA.

Watts pleaded not guilty on Tuesday, court records show. Bond was set at $2,000. She is due back in court on April 1.

The Washington Post