ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Mackenzie Deaton, 25, entered a guilty plea on Wednesday in connection with a hit-and-run incident in January 2024 that resulted in serious injuries to a St. Petersburg Police Officer.
Deaton pled guilty to charges of leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury and violating the Move Over Act.
The incident occurred at approximately 1 a.m. on January 6th, 2024, on Interstate 375 westbound, near the 5th Avenue North entrance ramp.
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A St. Petersburg Police Officer was in the process of conducting a traffic stop with the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights activated. As the officer exited the vehicle, a white Kia sedan, driven by Deaton, struck the police vehicle and injured the officer. The Kia then fled the scene without stopping.
Following an investigation, Deaton was apprehended and subsequently charged with leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury and tampering with evidence. She also received a citation for failure to comply with Florida’s Move Over Law.
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The Move Over Law is designed to safeguard emergency responders, disabled vehicles, and utility workers operating on the roadside.
The law mandates that drivers, when approaching such situations, must move over one lane if it is safe to do so. If a lane change is not possible, drivers are required to reduce their speed to at least 20 miles per hour below the posted speed limit.
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