PASCO COUNTY, Fla. — A 28-year-old man was cited after troopers said he struck a Pasco County deputy’s patrol SUV and another vehicle during a traffic stop Friday evening on State Road 54, according to Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
Around 10:22 p.m., a marked Pasco Sheriff’s Office Ford Explorer, driven by Deputy Christopher Scott Wojtas, 30, was stopped partially in the inside lane and grassy median behind another vehicle during a traffic stop with its emergency lights activated near Ballantrae Boulevard, according to a crash report.
In front of the patrol unit was a 2021 Audi A5 driven by 18-year-old Addison Grace Lancaster.
Troopers said Omar Antonio Malave, 28, was heading eastbound in a 2016 Jeep Compass in the inside lane when he failed to slow down or move over, as required by Florida’s move over law. Malave’s Jeep struck the back of the patrol SUV, pushing it into the grassy median and over two traffic signs, and also rear-ended Lancaster’s Audi, per the report.
FHP said the crash caused significant damage, but no serious injuries were reported.
As a result of the crash, Malave was charged with careless driving.
10-year-old Pasco County boy suffers life-threatening injuries after accident
State troopers said a 10-year-old on a bicycle attempted to cross the highway when he was struck by two vehicles.
