The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is investigating an early morning crash that sent two deputies and four citizens to the hospital.
Around 1:45 a.m. on Sunday, May 10, two HCSO DUI investigators were parked in a grass median near the intersection of Highway 60 East and Church Street in Valrico monitoring traffic. A 2016 black Chevrolet Impala driven by 25 year-old Aaron Major was traveling eastbound on Highway 60. Major jumped the median, colliding head-on into one of the white unmarked HCSO Dodge Chargers and sideswiping the other.
Major, who had three passengers in the car at the time, had just left a restaurant with his friends and admitted to falling asleep at the wheel. The vehicle belonged to one of the passengers. Alcohol is suspected to have played a role in this crash.
Both deputies were transported to Tampa General Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. One deputy suffered a fractured ankle.
Major and all three of his passengers were also taken to local hospitals. Major and one of the passengers suffered non-life threatening injuries.
“We cannot say it enough: driving under the influence is unacceptable. Crashing into a DUI deputy while intoxicated is downright inexcusable,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “I am very grateful that our deputies were not more seriously injured and that no one involved in this crash lost their lives. While this investigation is still ongoing, I can assure you that the driver involved will be held accountable for his actions.”