Driver hits deputy's vehicle on I-75

While Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy Chris Butler was stopping a vehicle for a “Move Over” violation Sunday on Interstate-75 near Clark Road, a 77-year-old Ellenton man struck his SUV.

Robert Best allegedly crashed his 2000 Cadillac into Butler’s door as it opened and continued driving northbound. Best told officers he was not aware he had hit anything.

Butler received burns when the airbag deployed and reported a sore ankle. Best did not suffer injuries.

Authorities cited Best for a "Move Over" violation, failure to maintain lane and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

The Sheriff’s Office had been conducting an operation aimed at calling attention to the Florida law that mandates drivers change lanes when an emergency vehicle is stopped on either side of a roadway. Violating the “Move Over” law can result in a $143 fine and three points on an offenders license, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.