A 23-year-old girl was allegedly run over by an on-duty police officer whereas mendacity on the seaside in St. Pete Seaside, Florida.

On Wednesday, at roughly 1:08 p.m., Pinellas County deputies responded to a report of a vehicle-versus-pedestrian crash on the seaside.

Based on police, Deputy Todd Brien, 58, was on seaside patrol in his marked 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe. Whereas chatting with beachgoers, Brien obtained a name from dispatch asking him to a 911 hang-up at one other location.

"Deputy Brien made a proper flip from his parked place, when he struck 23-year-old Robin Diffenderfer whereas she was mendacity on her again within the sand," police mentioned in a press launch.

The entrance driver aspect tire of Brien's automobile drove over the lady's mid to higher again space and proper aspect. She was transported to the hospital and sustained non-life-threatening accidents, in response to investigators.

Brien didn't maintain any accidents. Police are persevering with to research the incident.

Newsweek reached out to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Workplace who directed to the press launch.

This is not the primary time Pinellas County has been within the information for an officer hitting a pedestrian on the seaside. In Might 2020, an officer by chance ran over a person's hip whereas he was mendacity within the sand.

Officer Natasha Hindman, 27, was driving a marked police automobile at a sluggish velocity on the seaside at roughly 6 p.m. when the automobile's left tires ran over the person's hip.

The 66-year-old man was transported to the hospital with critical however non-life-threatening accidents.

Florida is at present seeing an increase in pedestrian-vehicle crashes, notably within the southwest a part of the state. Based on the Florida Freeway Security and Motor Car, greater than 3,000 pedestrians have been hit by vehicles since January 2022.

However the concern has additionally proved to be a nationwide concern, with new evaluation from the Governors Freeway Security Affiliation (GHSA) projecting that drivers struck and killed 3,441 pedestrians within the first six months of 2021.

Deputy runs over woman on beach
The 23-year-old was hit whereas mendacity within the sand however suffered non-life-threatening accidents.ofc photos/iStock

GHSA additionally discovered that California, Texas, and Florida accounted for 37 % of all pedestrian deaths in that interval, though solely about 27 % of the U.S. inhabitants resides there.

It is because these states have hotter climates, which improve out of doors exercise and touring by foot.

In June 2021, a 42-year-old Ohio man died after being run over by police responding to his 911 name. Earlier, the person, who had been shot, was mendacity in the midst of the highway and instructed dispatchers that police hit him with their automobile.

And in November of that very same 12 months, an off-duty police officer from New Jersey was accused of fatally hitting a pedestrian and taking the physique to his mom's home to ask for recommendation.

The 25-year-old officer was arrested and was charged with reckless vehicular murder; desecrating/transferring human stays; leaving the scene of a crash leading to demise; endangering an injured sufferer; hindering one's personal apprehension; conspiracy to hinder prosecution; tampering with bodily proof; obstruction the administration of legislation; and two counts of official misconduct, in response to the press launch.