RUSKIN, Fla. — A man is behind bars after crashing into a Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputy's SUV while drunk, the agency said in a news release.
The crash happened shortly before 4 a.m. Thursday in the area of College Avenue and U.S. Highway 41.
Deputies say 24-year-old Eduardo Castro was driving a Hyundai SUV along College Avenue going across U.S. 41. Castro reportedly ran a red light and crashed into a deputy's patrol vehicle.
The deputy was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Castro, deputies said, showed signs of impairment after the crash and was arrested. Three hours after the crash, Castro took a breathalyzer test and blew a .124 and .119 BAC.
Castro faces charges of driving under the influence with personal damage and personal injury and driving without a valid driver's license.
"This incident could have easily resulted in a tragic loss of life, and it serves as an example of the potential devastation that a single reckless choice can cause. Driving under the influence is illegal and endangers everyone on the road," Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement.
"Not only did this selfish individual cause a deputy to end up in the hospital, but he prevented another member of our community who was in need from getting the help they needed promptly."
