PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Pinellas County Sheriff's deputy who unintentionally drove over a woman on St. Pete Beach with his patrol SUV has received a written reprimand for his actions, an internal memo said.
The memo, obtained by 10 Tampa Bay, says Deputy Todd Brien was on duty on May 4 patrolling St. Pete Beach in his sheriff's office Chevy Tahoe when he drove up to a couple sitting on the beach he recognized and talked to them for several minutes from inside his SUV.
A 23-year-old woman was lying on a beach towel in the sand on the passenger side of the SUV and wasn't visible to the deputy, the memo states.
Brien was then called to respond to a call for service, so he turned his SUV in the direction the call came from. This put him in the direct path of the women laying on the sand. As a result, he drove over her with the front driver's side tire, the sheriff's office said.
The woman was taken to the hospital, but emergency crews said her injuries were non-life-threatening.
The memo stated Brien testified he unintentionally struck the woman because he couldn't see her, but took "full responsibility" for his actions.
The disciplinary action recommended ranged from a written reprimand to a 24-hour suspension, according to the memo. The sheriff's office chose to issue a written reprimand.
Brien has been with the sheriff's office since 2013.