FHP trooper honored for saving runners
Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Toni Schuck — who is credited with saving the lives of participants in a running race by blocking a motorist from hitting them — was named national Law Enforcement Officer of the Year at an award ceremony Friday at the American Police Hall of Fame & Museum in Titusville.
Schuck, a 26-year career officer, was recognized “for taking courageous actions that prevented hundreds of people from being harmed or killed” in the incident that occurred on March 6, 2022.
Schuck was working traffic control and security for the Armed Forces Family Skyway 10K Race in Pinellas County, a race in which there were more than 7,000 entrants.
While race participants were running, law enforcement officers working at the event began responding to reports of a woman driving erratically and in excess of 100 mph through event barricades, threatening the lives and safety of runners.
Risking her own safety, Schuck positioned her Chevy Tahoe police vehicle directly in the path of the driver of the oncoming vehicle, a 2011 BMW 335i. The driver of that vehicle was stopped only when she collided with Schuck, who remained inside her vehicle to ensure that the other driver would be stopped at all costs.
“I knew I was the last one” who could stop the driver, Schuck said after the incident. “I knew there was nobody else behind me. I had positioned my car in the middle of the road. I’m not trained to do that. It was just an instinct. I thought that … she would see that truck, and she would stop.”
“The next thing was the crash,” Schuck recalled.
Schuck suffered multiple injuries, including a serious head wound and concussion.
Her actions led to the driver’s arrest on DUI and other charges.
The suspect, Kristen Kay Watts of Sarasota, then age 52, initially was charged with driving under the influence with serious injury; two counts of DUI with property damage; and two counts of reckless driving involving injury and property damage.
Watts is seeking a plea deal, in which she would plead guilty to DUI.
Schuck returned to patrolling and doing commercial vehicle inspections in the Tampa Bay area after months of physical therapy and chiropractor visits. During her recovery, she worked offduty in the office.
Friday’s award ceremony marks the Police Hall of Fame’s 34th year of recognizing law enforcement officers who epitomize the best of police work, said Barry Shepherd, chief executive officer of the U.S. Law Enforcement Foundation, which operates the Police Hall of Fame.
“We’ve been presenting this award for 34 years because we believe the bravery and sacrifice demonstrated by police officers like Trooper Schuck should be acknowledged and supported,” Shepherd said. “We are grateful for police officers.”
Shepherd noted that “there is always an abundance of deserving nominations that come from around the country each year, which can make it difficult to choose a finalist. We believe that speaks volumes about the high caliber of police officers across the country.”
Schuck previously was awarded the 2022 Florida Trooper of the Year award, as well as the Back the Blue award at the Fox Nation Awards.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune contributed to this story.