Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Cpl. Niomi Bruce was thrown from her driver's seat when a car struck her patrol vehicle on I-75 near Highway 301 on Oct. 19. The stretch of I-75 near US-301 is a major corridor for Apollo Beach and Ruskin commuters.

Bruce is now recovering at home with a tear in her lower back, bruising on her legs, whiplash and muscle damage, WFLA first reported. She told WFLA she is extremely sore but knows it is only temporary.

The Sheriff's Office used Bruce's case to highlight enforcement of Florida's Move Over law. HCSO said it has recorded 348 violations of drivers not moving over or reducing their speed since January of last year, according to WFLA.

How the crash happened

Four people are accused of fleeing from HCSO deputies on I-75 before crashing into an embankment near I-75 and Highway 301 on Oct. 19, according to WFLA. Bruce responded to that incident and was sitting in her patrol car with emergency lights on when another vehicle hit it, the Sheriff's Office said.

Bruce said she had been typing on her computer and speaking to her sergeant when the sergeant's face changed. The sergeant shouted, and then the impact hit, Bruce told WFLA. She said it felt like the car took her.

The collision threw Bruce out of the driver's seat. She said she hit the windshield at some point. Body camera footage released by HCSO captured Bruce saying she could not feel her legs.

"In that moment, I immediately thought about my husband and my kids. I am so thankful because it could have been a lot worse," Bruce said.

Sheriff Chad Chronister said getting the call in the middle of the night that a deputy was in a traffic crash and could not feel her lower extremities was heartbreaking, according to WFLA. He said the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) took over the scene and that the driver who struck Bruce's patrol car was cited for careless driving.

"Thankfully, she's able to sit here today," Chronister said.

Move Over law carries fines and points

Under Florida law, drivers must move over a lane for emergency, service, utility and disabled vehicles stopped on the roadside, or slow to 20 mph below the posted speed limit if changing lanes is not safe, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The law was expanded on Jan. 1, 2025, to cover any vehicle parked on the roadside with hazard lights, emergency flares or visible emergency signage.

Statewide in 2024, there were 205 crashes and more than 17,500 citations for motorists failing to move over, according to FLHSMV. Violating the law results in a fine, fees and points on a driver's record.

Bruce said she plans to continue resting at home and will come back better than ever.