BAY LAKE, FL, Oct. 28, 2026 —
A Florida Highway Patrol trooper was seriously injured Tuesday night when a pickup truck crashed into the back of his parked patrol car in a construction zone on State Road 429 in Orange County, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said Wednesday.
The crash happened at about 9:12 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, in the southbound lanes of SR 429 at mile marker 6 in Bay Lake, according to the agency's post on its official X account.
What FHP says happened
According to FHP's preliminary information, a 2026 Toyota Tundra was heading south in the outside lane as it approached an active construction zone. Ahead in that lane, a trooper was stopped in his marked FHP patrol car with its emergency lights on as part of a lane closure.
FHP says the Tundra's driver "failed to move over, despite the visible emergency lights and the active work zone warnings," and the front of the truck hit the rear of the trooper's car.
The trooper was seriously injured and airlifted to HCA Osceola Regional Medical Hospital. He's in stable condition, the agency said.
The truck's driver, a 53-year-old Davenport man, was taken to Celebration Hospital with injuries that aren't life-threatening. FHP hasn't released either man's name. The crash is still under investigation, and charges are pending, according to the agency.
What the agency's director said
"Unfortunately, over the years we have seen far too many law enforcement officer, first responders, Road Rangers, and motorists killed or seriously injured because of preventable actions on our roadways," FLHSMV Executive Director Dave Kerner said. "We are grateful for the Trooper's service and are keeping him in our thoughts as he recovers from his injuries."
Kerner added that "the simple act of moving over gives them the space they need to work safely and significantly increases safety for everyone on Florida's roads."
What Florida drivers should know
FHP reminds drivers that under Florida law, they must move over a lane for emergency, service, utility and disabled vehicles stopped on the side of the road. If it isn't safe to move over, drivers must slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit.
Launchpad Digital has asked the Florida Highway Patrol and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for comment and will update this story when they respond.
Those are the facts, directly from the source.
Source: Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, official X account (Oct. 28, 2026).
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