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Florida trooper risks her life to block rogue driver, saving thousands running a 10K

A 26-year veteran of the Florida Highway Patrol risked her life to stop an alleged drunk driver who was speeding toward a bridge where thousands were running a charity race.

A state trooper risked her life by using her vehicle to block a speeding car driven by an alleged drunk driver that was headed toward a bridge where thousands of people were running a charity race in Florida on Sunday.

The Florida Highway Patrol released dramatic dashcam video of the scene Monday that showed a speeding BMW collide at high speed with a patrol car.

Trooper Toni Schuck, a 26-year veteran of the highway patrol, saw the oncoming car and maneuvered her vehicle in the way at 8:45 a.m. on Sunday, resulting in a near head-on crash. Schuck was taken to a local hospital but has since been discharged and is recovering at home, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Barriers and road closures had been put in place for the Skyway 10K race, which helps the Armed Forces Families Foundation, on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, a 4-mile-long bridge in the Tampa Bay area. Nearly 7,000 runners participated in the race.

The Florida Highway Patrol said in a news release that troopers were alerted to a suspicious driver speeding on I-275 who was approaching a road closure on the south end of the bridge during the race. The driver sped through multiple road blocks and past state troopers before Schuck maneuvered to stop her, according to the FHP.

Kristen Kay Watts, 52, of Sarasota, Florida, has been arrested for DUI serious injury, two counts of reckless driving involving injury and property damage and two counts of DUI property damage, according to a news release by the FHP.