Two Charlotte County Sheriff's officers jumped out of the way seconds before an alleged drunk driver sideswiped a patrol car on Placida Road by Lemon Bay High School at 1:50 a.m. Monday in Grove City.
Joy Marie Lewis, 30, 203 N. Broadway, Englewood, was cited for driving on a suspended license and a family member came to remove the vehicle.
Th incident began as a road deputy made an unrelated traffic stop and pulled behind the vehicle with emergency lights on. A sergeant arrived and talked to the deputy by the rear of his patrol car.
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Joy Marie Lewis
The sergeant said he saw an approaching vehicle traveling directly toward the patrol car and waved his arms at the oncoming red Jeep. Yelling "look out," the sergeant jumped out of the path of the Jeep while the deputy dove into his patrol car a split second before impact.
The Jeep sideswiped the patrol car causing extensive damage before coming to rest on a sidewalk 125 yards from the crash site. Neither officer was injured.
The Florida Highway Patrol charged Lewis with DUI and property damage. Her breath test reportedly showed .201 and .208, well above the .080 limit. Lewis remains in the Charlotte County jail on $750 bond.
