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UPDATE: Thursday, January 16, 2025, 17:30 p.m.
Yesterday, R News presented HCSO with several questions regarding the accident, only to receive the following responses just before 10:00 a.m. this morning:
* Is Jayden Garcia still employed with HCSO? Please provide any documents in Garcia's file pertaining to the accident, separation, or disciplinary action in the last 3 days.
HCSO: NO RECORDS RESPONSIVE
* Is Jayden Garcia on administrative leave? Please provide documentation.
HCSO: NO RECORDS RESPONSIVE
* How long has Garcia been a Deputy with HCSO?
HCSO: HIRE DATE 06/05/2023 (Facebook indicates that he did not become a deputy until January 3rd, 2024).
* Is Jayden Garcia back on patrol with a new vehicle?
HCSO: NO RECORDS RESPONSIVE
* Is there an active investigation into what caused the accident?
HCSO did not answer this question.
* What call was Garcia being dispatched to at the time of the crash?
HCSO: NO RECORDS RESPONSIVE (HCSO provided this answer in a Facebook post but not to R News)
* Was he searching for someone at the time of the crash?
HCSO: NO RECORDS RESPONSIVE (HCSO provided this answer in a Facebook post but not to R News)
At 4:25 p.m. today, HCSO posted the following statement on the agency’s Facebook page:
The Hernando County Sheriff’s Office has received several inquiries from the public for information regarding a deputy-involved crash on 01-14-2025 that occurred near the intersection of Broad Street and Cortez Boulevard in Brooksville.
The incident occurred at approximately 5:06 a.m., as Deputy Jayden Garcia was on proactive patrol in the city of Brooksville.
Deputy Garcia was traveling north on Broad Street, just south of Cortez Boulevard in his marked agency patrol vehicle when he observed a vehicle traveling south on Broad Street with no operating headlights.
He then observed the same driver run a red light at the intersection of Broad Street and Cortez Boulevard, where the driver then made a left turn to head east on Cortez Boulevard.
Deputy Garcia proceeded to make a U-turn, traveling over the center median in an attempt to locate the vehicle.
Deputy Garcia traveled south on Broad Street where he then attempted to make a left turn onto Cortez Boulevard. Deputy Garcia failed to navigate the turn and slid into and up the guy wires of a power pole located on the south side of Cortez Boulevard. Deputy Garcia's cruiser came to a rest partially suspended in the air by the guy wires.
Deputy Garcia was not injured in the single-vehicle crash.
A few minutes later, the Florida Highway Patrol located the suspect’s vehicle, a 2010 Mercedes C Class, abandoned in a wooded area about two miles east of where Deputy Garcia first spotted the vehicle.
The vehicle which had crashed had a fictitious California license plate attached. The driver/suspect has not been identified. This incident remains under investigation by the FHP.
As required by agency policy, Deputy Garcia was immediately tested for drugs and alcohol. Both tests were negative.
Per agency policy, Deputy Garcia will also appear before the agency’s accident review board, where the crash will be thoroughly reviewed for possible recommendation of any discipline.
Contrary to HCSO’s explanation of what happened, there were no vehicles traveling southbound on S. Broad Street without headlights when he allegedly began pursuing the vehicle. Additionally, there are no vehicles seen running a red light at Hwy 50 and S. Broad Street.
ORIGINAL STORY
BROOKSVILLE, FL – A bizarre patrol car crash Tuesday left onlookers wondering how it could happen and why officials aren't providing answers.
Click Image to Watch Video
Around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, Hernando County Sheriff's Deputy Jayden Garcia lost control of his patrol car and collided with utility guy wires at the intersection of Hwy 50 (Truck bypass) and S. Broad Street. There were no injuries reported, and damage was minimal, but Garcia's patrol car was left hanging precariously on top of the guy wires.
HCSO provided dash camera video of the incident but declined to provide an explanation as to how the accident occurred.
Video shows Garcia pulling into the left turn lane to exit the Winn Dixie parking lot onto S. Broad Street; however, when the light turned green, he turned right instead. Garcia sped towards Hwy 50 and turned right but then made an immediate U-turn at the next traffic signal. Garcia then pulled into the left turn lane to head back toward the way he came. After making the turn, Garcia made an abrupt U-turn across a raised concrete median and headed back to Hwy 50. Garcia sped towards the left turn lane in an attempt to make it through a yellow turn signal. That's when Garcia lost control and collided with a sign and utility guy wires.
Throughout the video, Garcia appears to be driving erratically and even crosses the solid white lines on several occasions. Since HCSO refuses to provide an accident report or any details pertaining to the incident, it is unknown if Garcia's irregular driving was warranted.
The Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) usually investigates patrol car crashes with other agencies, but FHP officials tell R News they were not assigned to this case.
Last week, a Lake County Sheriff's Deputy resigned after he collided with the rear of another vehicle while watching pornography on his cellphone. If not for the agency's Body Worn Camera policy, former deputy Tristan Macomber may have gotten away with lying about how the accident occurred. Faced with the undeniable truth, Macomber eventually admitted to what caused the crash. VIDEO courtesy of Fox 35 Orlando.
Hernando County Sheriff Al Nienhuis refuses to implement a BWC program with his deputies.
Deputy Garcia has only been with the agency since January 3, 2024. Before that, he worked as a part-time PST cadet for about 6 months.
It is unknown if Garcia committed any policy violations or if the incident was a simple accident. We will update this story if HCSO provides more details.
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