Last Updated: 4:19 p.m.
For the second time in five days, a Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy was involved in a serious vehicle crash resulting in injuries. But the Sheriff’s Office has not released the incident report on Monday’s crash, and says it may not do so for another “couple of days.”
A sheriff’s spokesman says the report is not being delayed. “Our agency policy says that all crash reports will be submitted to Records within four days.”
Monday’s crash took place at 7 a.m. at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Grand Reserve, within the city limits of Bunnell, where a sheriff’s deputy rear-ended another motorist.
But the crash was not investigated by Bunnell police, as is customary when crashes occur within the city limits. Nor was it investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol, as is customary when the crash involves an officer or a deputy from a local law enforcement agency. It was investigated by the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office. There have been instances when FHP has not investigated such cases when it is determined that the law enforcement officer is not at fault. In this case, the Sheriff’s Office made the determination about its own deputy.
Two requests were placed for the report starting at 12:49 p.m. Monday, and a third request was placed today. Absent the report, that was followed by a series of questions about to crash to Bob Weber, the Sheriff’s Office’s chief spokesman.
Weber said the deputy at the wheel of the cruiser was Sgt. John Bray, a 12-year veteran of the agency. “He was injured in the accident and was taken to Halifax hospital,” Weber said. “He underwent surgery yesterday and remains hospitalized.” Only serious and critical crash victims are taken to Halifax. Less serious cases are transported to Florida Hospital Flagler. Bray’s cruiser, which was towed to Flagler County Fleet Services, was severely damaged and smeared in blood in at least two places.
A man was driving the other vehicle, but neither the man’s identity nor his vehicle’s make or condition were released, “since the report has not yet been submitted,” Weber said.
“I have a call into Sgt. Van Buren regarding who was at fault and whether any citations were issued,” Weber added.
Though the Sheriff’s Office is not yet confirming it, the driver of the vehicle the deputy struck was reportedly cited.
Just before 3 p.m. Monday, Weber emailed the citation issued to the driver, who is identified in the citation as Colby Nicholas Mikloiche (the last name is not clearly legible on the citation, and may not be correctly transcribed here), a resident of Grand Reserve who was cited for failure to yield from a stop sign.
On March 20, Jeremy Chambers, a 10-year veteran of the agency, was at the wheel of a cruiser that broke the right-of-way of motorcyclist Selbert Mills, 54, on Seminole Woods Boulevard, causing Mills to crash into the cruiser. Mills was hospitalized. The Florida Highway Patrol investigated that crash and found Chambers to be at fault.
Driver Exchange of Information
Davis says
rear end collision = your fault. Another payday for the lawyers.
Willing State Employee says
Well, that wouldn’t be the FIRST time FCSO covered up something… They have at least ONE officer currently there that uses all the resources at her disposal for her own “personal research” of citizens she has personal issues with—like her ex-husband and his family, his new girlfriend and her family members, her son’s friends and their families. I am all for an involved parent and arming yourself with knowledge before it’s too late, but to do this for your own personal gain and on company time while your and my tax dollars PAY FOR THIS is unacceptable. So no, THIS story above does not surprise me in the least. It is just one more thing in a string of abuses of power by this particular organization.
confidential says
Aren’t we all supposed to yield and or move to the shoulder to make room for law enforcement, fire department or any emergency vehicle with their lights and emergency sounds on?
Or that is not abide by, or enforced in Florida?
tom jacks says
A deputy hits a car in the rear and the driver of the car that was hit was cited and blamed for the accident? The accident was investigated by the offending department and not the Highway patrol or Bunnell police, how convenient. What is Manfree trying to hide?
Jake says
Get well soon Sarge.
bunnell boy says
Way to go Manfre investigate your own deputies accidents. There is something wrong with this picture. Since when do you rear end another vehicle and the other driver gets cited. Its getting warm weather now and its know need for a coverup!
THE VOICE OF REASON says
It will be interesting to see what the other driver was cited for, because as I remember it, the rule on following another vehicle is always leave enough room to stop. And although there might be instances where the lead car’s action might have caused the accident, the rear car in a rear-end collision is nearly always at fault.
String Cheese says
I always thought the person who did the rear-ending was ALWAYS at fault???
brian says
Thats what they told my wife is last person in rear end collision is allways at fault in state of Florida then gave her ticket.
m&m says
Some of worst drivers in the city are police and school bus drivers. They don’t use the directional lights they go in and out of traffic like they own the road..
palm coaster says
“who was cited for failure to yield from a stop sign. ” Sounds to me like the driver ran the stop sign, making a turn into the path of the deputy resulting in the rear end collision. If that’s right, the correct driver got the citation.
orphan says
Am I missing something here?
This article clearly states that the OTHER driver (other than the deputy) was cited for “failure to yield from a stop sign”.
I don’t understand why there are so many negative comments regarding this deputy. If a person rear-ends another vehicle it is NOT automatically the striking vehicle that is at fault. I’ve saved my ass SO many times by being alert and power-braking!
I think that this particular incident has less to do with the FCSO and the way they are handling it and more to do with certain people that are just unhappy with the FCSO.
Why don’t we wait a day or so? I think that in this day of so-called transparency we’ll get the facts eventually and everyone can go on with their lives, as human beings should.
Genie says
I think the Sheriff needs to tell us why he is not following protocol on this.
Freddy says
Not a Manfree fan but I will give FCSO the benefit of the doubt on this one. There was a witness and citation was for failure to yield from a stop sign. Maybe the guy pulled out into US1 from the subdivision. Oh! Were are those stupid red light cameras when you need one?
[email protected] says
you still don’t hit someone in the rear because they did not move over, you go around them. you are still responsible for you actions in the police vehicle when responding to a call. suppose the driver of the other vehicle has a hearing impairment you the police officer with the lights and siren on is still responsible to get to the location safe. emergency lights and siren does not immune you from your careless actions
Mary Cannady says
Oops, spoke too soon, all of the above. Update: driver ran a stop sign.
Wolley Segap says
Have any of you ever conducted a traffic crash investigation? Ill wait to see the report before making my own judgement.
mrskeptical says
Does it say anywhere that the sheriff was driving with any lights or sirens on ? Not enough info in this story to know what caused the accident to occur
Really? says
the only exceptions i can think of would be if the other driver pulled out in front of you or if the other driver made a lane change in front of you. In both cases the rear-ended party would be at fault.
Annoyed says
OMG. Read the whole article people. The driver of the other vehicle was cited for disobeying a stop sign. In other words he did not stop at a stop sign and pulled out in front of a car and got rear-ended. Unless the deputy had exceeded the speed limit he is not at fault and neither would any other person operating a motor vehicle. It does not automatically make it your fault if you rear end some. It usually does, but in rare instances (like someone running a stop sign or red light and pulling out in front of you) it doesn’t. Hopefully this arm-chair conspiracy panel and clear this one up soon and get back to work on the Kennedy assassination.
bunnell boy says
Confidential where in the story says the deputy had his blue lights activated?
Brutus says
You mean if someone hits me in the rear it is MY FAULT ? I don’t think so !!! I can hear the lawyers now…Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money ….
Steve says
Sounds like the driver of the truck was pulling out of the Grand Reserve development headed south onto US1 and did not stop in the median to look and yield. All the officer was doing was driving south on US1 and this guy cut into officers right of way. Nowhere does it say he was following the truck. If you google the truck drivers address its in Grand Reserve.
Genie says
@ Mary: Thanks, many missed that. Two police crashes…glad I am not paying the insurance rates….oh wait, I am!
shucks says
You see a car accident and it is a “rear end collission.” One, again, automatically assumes it is the driver who hit the other in the “rear” that is at fault… Example of sitting and waiting for the facts. the accident I am speaking of… driver sitting at a light, when the vehicle in front of him put the car in reverse and drove up over his hood. there’s a rear-end collision for you. NOT the driver you would expect to be at fault. But if you drove by the accident, you know exactly what you would think… BUT, Manfree has NO business investigating his own accidents. That’s BPD or FHP….
Since 1987 says
Hope the Deputy is OK.
Genie says
Still waiting for that explanation, Sheriff.
ryan says
I am glad that some of the facts got forced out there. The running a stop sign overrides the fault of the person who rear ends someone. That is the story, and unfortunately, from reading most of the comments on here, I’m sure there will be false outrage and backlash if the deputy is cleared. I know, I know, what about that poor person that ran the stop sign? too bad, don’t run stop signs.
Greg says
Good luck in getting one. Maybe the public relations firm he’s spending thousands of our tax payer dollars on will come up with more propaganda.
On that note can anyone please explain to me why a government agency needs a public relations firm? Especially when this agency has two full time sworn public relations officers at a combined cost of well over $125,000?