INDIAN RIVER COUNTY, Fla. — A sergeant with the Indian River County Sheriff's Office was not hurt after he was struck head-on by another vehicle Sunday morning.
Sgt. Mike Pierce was stopped at the intersection of Eighth Street and Old Dixie Highway facing north at 6 a.m.
The sergeant said he noticed another car stopped a few houses down, pointing south, when it began to move.
"I looked up, and the next thing I know, I see a car coming right at me, and he's going at a pretty good speed," Pierce said.
Video recorded by his dashboard camera showed the moment of impact.
"I just said, 'This is probably going to hurt, so just stand by and take the hit,'" he said.
The 30-year veteran of the sheriff’s office said he has been in wrecks before, but none with this impact.
At the end of the day, he said he was glad he was the one who ended up getting hit.
"In my mind, I said, 'This is either intentional or he's intoxicated.' That's the first thing that went through my mind when he started to back up. So, I didn’t want him hitting anyone else," Pierce said.
Pierce said while most people would say he was in the wrong place at the wrong time, he disagrees.
"Sometimes you don't have to do heroic things to protect and serve, you just have to be in the right place at the right time," Pierce said.
The man behind the wheel of car, Alex McKinney, 34, of Ocala, faces misdemeanor DUI charges and was released on bond.
