SPOTSYLVANIA, VA – A frightening confrontation unfolded on a Virginia road when an officer’s search for an alleged drunk driver ended in a head-on collision. Released dashcam footage captured the terrifying encounter when the suspect’s vehicle crashed into a police cruiser.
According to a Facebook post by Virginia officials on Wednesday, “Deputy looking for DUI suspect finds him the hard way.” The incident transpired on Dec 1 around 2:45 p.m. after the Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office received several reports about a potential drunk driver.
Senior Deputy Tibor Kreiter was patrolling a rural two-lane road, about 50 miles north of Richmond, searching for the suspect’s vehicle. The dashcam footage shows the truck appearing from the opposite direction, failing to adhere to the road curve, and veering across the yellow dividing line, resulting in a forceful collision with Kreiter’s patrol car.
Despite Kreiter’s attempt to swerve off the road to avoid the collision, he was unable to evade the incoming truck due to trees on the right and other vehicles on his left. The impact was so powerful that it dislodged the patrol car’s back wheel, leaving a trail of car wreckage on the street.
Fortunately, Kreiter, who serves in the traffic division, sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the collision. He was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.
The suspected drunk driver, identified as 57-year-old John Anthony Fields, was arrested at the crash site. Fields has been slapped with multiple charges, including driving under the influence, reckless driving, and failure to stick to the right side of the highway. After being held at the Central Virginia Regional Jail, he was subsequently released on bond.
Expressing relief over the outcome, Spotsylvania Sheriff Roger Harris said he was “extremely thankful” that the crash did not result in severe injuries.
Virginia excels in implementing some of the country’s strictest drunk driving laws. As per the DMV, anyone convicted of a first DUI offense in the state faces a revocation of their driver’s license for one year and a minimum penalty of a $250 fine.