A Pinellas County Deputy drove over a young Florida woman while she was sunbathing at St. Pete Beach, authorities said.
The 23-year-old victim, Robin Elaine Diffenderfer, of Jacksonville, was soaking up the rays at the beach at around 1 p.m. on Wednesday when Deputy Todd Brien received an emergency call as he patrolled the pristine sand and emerald green waters, according to the Pinella County Sheriff’s Office.
Following the 911 hang-up call, Brien, who was speaking to several beachgoers at the time, was then dispatched to another location in his patrol vehicle, the sheriff’s office said.
“Deputy Brien made a right turn from his parked position, when he struck [Diffenderfer] while she was lying on her back in the sand,” department officials said in a statement late Wednesday.
The front driver’s side tire of Brien’s SUV drove over Diffenderfer’s right side and “mid to upper back area,” deputies said. The woman was transported to a nearby hospital and was expected to survive, according to deputies.
The 58-year-old deputy, who joined the department in November 2013, was not injured during the incident, the sheriff’s office said.
An investigation into the incident is ongoing. No additional information on the victim’s condition was available early Thursday.
