Trooper Who Prevented Skyway Bridge 10K Crash Honored: FHP

ORLANDO, FL — A state trooper was honored for crashing into a drunk driver heading toward the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to protect participants in a 10K race last spring, according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release.

Trooper Toni Schuck was named the agency’s 2022 Trooper of the Year at the 7th annual Florida Highway Patrol awards banquet held Saturday in Orlando.

She’s only the fourth female trooper to earn the Trooper of the Year honor, FHP said.

During the March 6, 2022, Skyway 10K Bridge Run, Kristen Kay Watts of Sarasota careened past road closures in place during the race, refused to pull over for troopers and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, and drove through the toll plaza.

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To prevent her from crashing into thousands of runners, Schuck placed her patrol vehicle in the bridge’s travel lanes to intercept Watts.

Watts crashed nearly head-on with the trooper, who was injured in the incident.

She was arrested and charged with driving under the influence causing bodily injury to another, two counts of DUI causing property damage or personal injury, two counts of reckless driving causing property damage or personal injury, and fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer.

“I was the last officer. I knew it was me,” Schuck said during a news conference after the crash, according to FHP.

Schuck has received other honors for her heroism, including Trooper of the Month in March 2022, the Medal of Valor award and the Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Member of the Year award.

She also received the “Back the Blue” award at the Fox Nation Patriot Awards in November, was given the keys to the city in St. Petersburg and Bradenton, threw out the first pitch for the Tampa Bay Rays’ 2022 opening-day baseball game, and was honored by Manatee County on March 22, 2022, for “Trooper Toni Schuck Day.”

“I am proud to serve with dedicated troopers like Trooper Toni Schuck, who selflessly and courageously put herself in harm’s way to protect runners at the Skyway 10K,” Colonel Gene Spaulding, director of the FHP, said. “Trooper Schuck’s bravery is a true example of the remarkable troopers who serve and protect our Florida community each day.”