FLORIDA TROOPERS FACE TRAFFIC DANGERS

About 40 troopers in the six-county Central Florida district were struck by motorists while investigating accidents during the past two years, according to the Florida Highway Patrol, highlighting one of the most dangerous elements of their job. A crash about 8 a.m. Monday on Interstate 95 in Melbourne that injured a trooper as he worked at an accident scene was a reminder of that danger.

"We are definitely more likely to be struck by a vehicle than (injured in) a shooting," said Florida Highway Patrol spokeswoman Kim Miller. "When you're in traffic, it's a dangerous place to be. Our cars are our offices." Trooper Daniel Davis' cruiser was rear-ended by a motorist while he was investigating a crash involving a driver who lost control of his Dodge Ram pickup and careened into the woods off I-95 about a half-mile from the Eau Gallie Boulevard exit.

Davis was sitting in his cruiser, filling out a report, when Maria Salazar, 21, lost control of her Kia Sportage SUV, veered into the right lane and struck a Jeep Cherokee driven by Rosalie Greenhall, 39, of West Melbourne.

The Jeep was pushed into the rear driver side of Davis' cruiser. Then, Salazar slammed into a tow truck that was waiting to pull out the truck in the woods from the first crash.

Davis had to be extricated from his car and was taken to Wuesthoff Medical Center-Melbourne, where he was treated and released. Salazar was issued a ticket for driving too fast for conditions. "She should have reduced speed based on the conditions, the crash and the weather," Miller said.

"If we get hit at 20 miles per hour, it's a big difference from 50."

While the patrol handles the majority of Brevard County accidents, other agencies, including the sheriff's department, are aware of the dangers involved. Deputies receive training to help them minimize the risks.

They are instructed to try to pick a safe location for a traffic stop instead of pulling off roadways, but that's not always possible, sheriff's Lt. Mike DeMorat said.

"Injuries do occur," he said. "A lot of times, injuries are related to traffic enforcement actions when compared to other law enforcement functions."

Officers are also trained to minimize time spent in the vehicle by completing paperwork outside the car.