A drunk driver slammed into a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) patrol car early Thursday morning while the officer was sitting inside it.
Just before 1:30 a.m., on Thursday, March 12, 2026, a JSO officer was working a lane closure on I-10 westbound just before the Lane Avenue exit. His marked patrol SUV was parked with emergency lights flashing, warning drivers to slow down and move over.
Instead, 29-year-old Cate Kitay drove her RAM 2500 pickup truck straight into the patrol vehicle.
The crash was so forceful that it pushed her truck forward into an unoccupied utility truck parked on the shoulder. That truck had an attenuator attached; it’s a crash-absorbing safety device specifically designed to protect road crews from exactly this kind of impact.
The officer was taken to a local hospital with minor injuries and is expected to make a full recovery.
But let’s be clear: this could have ended in tragedy.
An officer was inside that vehicle. Construction crews were working nearby. And a drunk driver plowed straight through a clearly marked lane closure with emergency lights flashing.
All of this was completely preventable. Do not drink and drive. Slow down. Move over for emergency vehicles and work zones.
To view the post regarding this crash on JSO's social media, please click on the following link:
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