Polk Deputy Recovering After Being Struck By Vehicle Passing By

LAKELAND, FL — A Polk County sheriff's deputy remains hospitalized but suffered no severe injuries Sunday night after she was struck by a vehicle while conducting an investigation.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, around 9:20 p.m. Deputy Katie Reese and fellow deputies were conducting an investigation on Combee Road near Old Combee Road. Deputies had parked their patrol cars on the northbound shoulder with their lights on, and Reese and another deputy were walking on the shoulder of the southbound side when a driver passing by struck her from behind.

The driver told detectives that he didn't notice the deputies on foot because he was looking at the patrol cars on the other side of the road and, as he approached the patrol cars, he moved his car further to the shoulder of the road to keep out of the way. In doing so, his vehicle hit Reese, said the sheriff's office.

The sheriff's office said the deputy is was kept at the hospital for 24-hour observation.

"We are very happy that Deputy Reese was not seriously injured," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said. "This is a reminder of the dangers that law enforcement officers face every day, and for drivers to approach cautiously when emergency vehicles are present."

There are no charges against the driver at this time, but the investigation is continuing, said the sheriff's office.