Last Updated: 12:40 p.m.
Palm Coast Fire Police member Steven Brooks was on duty, securing a crash site in Seminole Woods late Tuesday afternoon, when he was struck by a passing car and critically injured. He was flown to Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach, where he remains in critical but stable condition, according to Pam Coast Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill.
Fire police members assist first responders at emergencies, regulating traffic and ensuring that responders can operate safely.
The Seminole Woods incident was reported at 4:57 p.m. after a vehicle struck a motorized scooter at the intersection of Seminole Woods Boulevard and Sesame Boulevard (the north intersection of the Sesame loop). The person on the scooter was injured and transported to a local hospital. The crash involving Brooks, who is 82, was reported at 5:24 p.m. He suffered four broken bones and internal injuries, the chief said.
“We do a lot to promote visibility for our fire police,” Berryhill said. “They’re first responders that are in a situation that’s become pretty hazardous to first responders, which is interacting with folks as they’re trying to move about in their vehicles.”
The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol were at the scene. “I don’t have a report from FHP, or anything of that nature that says if someone was at fault or not,” the fire chief said in an early morning interview. “I can tell you that it was the time of day where the sun is blindingly bright as I was pulling on the scene. It was something that I noticed. So I don’t want to make excuses. What I’d really like is for our community to take even more care as they’re moving in and around these emergency scenes. I know that they care about the first responders in Flagler County and Palm Coast. Just slow down and take a minute to be prepared.”
The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and cooperated with law enforcement. The chief said there appeared to be no “evidence of bad acting” on the driver’s part. Brooks was working just inside the intersection, preventing left turns onto Sesame.
Brooks is a retired railroad man who served for over 22 years as a volunteer fireman in Beaver County, Utah, rising to assistant chief. He had also volunteered for the Flagler County Sheriff’s Citizen Observer Patrol known as COP.
“He’s really good man. You don’t like to see your your team’s blood on the ground, and we saw it yesterday,” Berryhill said during a late-morning press conference at Fire Station 21. “But luckily, we believe that there’s a ton of hope about Steven’s condition, and we’re going to go see him in a little bit. And so we’re really lucky to have members like that, and to have our fire police corps that protect our responders every day who are in harm’s way, consistently out in these vehicle areas.”
Brooks is part of a 13-member Fire Police team at the city’s fire department. The crews respond only to emergencies within the city. On Wednesday, he was one of four fire police members at the Seminole Woods scene, later increased to six. Berryhill said over the years training protocols for fire police members have fluctuated. “My understanding is that we continue to train on a regular basis,” Berryhill said.
Responders at emergency scenes, including tow operators, face significant hazards. In 2024, at least 46 responders were killed while on duty at road-incident scenes, including 26 law enforcement officers, three firefighters or associated services, and 12 tow operators, according to Respondersafety, a website that maintains an annual database of responder fatalities.
Berryhill said all responders treated the incident “as if it was part of their family.” Palm Coast’s Engine 29, Fire Police Chief 22, Battalion 25, Battalion 20 and the chief responded. Flagler County Fire Rescue’s Engine 16, Engine 62, Rescue 25, Rescue 92, Rescue 62 FireFlight all responded, as did the department’s training chief and training lieutenant.
john says
The people in Flagler County drive like maniac’s and this is the results. With all the FC Sheriff Officers out there start pulling over more speeders. It seems like all they do is bust drug houses and ignore all those that speed around day in and day out and run red lights.
MeToo says
God bless this man and heal him. Amen
Mandy says
Palm Coast is becoming so overpopulated and overbilt. I just can’t breathe sometimes. It feels like im in a jar of sardines. Everyone is packed in so tight and in a big hurry. prayers for the injured. I think me and my husband might be moving back west. Palm Coast isn’t such a great place. It’s bragged up a lot, but it is just becoming too much traffic and overload for us. We are retirees.
Judy BZ says
Prayers for his speedy recovery!
celia pugliese says
Prayers for Mr. Brooks speedy and total recovery!
Matt says
This article should have mentioned the “move over” law modification that just went into effect 1/1/25 to include ANY vehicle on the side of the road.
“Florida law requires you to Move Over a lane — when you can safely do so — for stopped law enforcement, emergency, sanitation, utility service vehicles, tow trucks or wreckers, maintenance or construction vehicles with displaying warning lights, and any disabled vehicle on the side of the road. If you can’t move over — or when on a two-lane road — slow to a speed that is 20 mph less than the posted speed limit.”
https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/driving-safety/move-over/
Dan says
That person should never be allowed behind the wheel again..
Pete Di Giulio says
Sending Healing Prayers for Speedy Recovery for you Sir& your entire Family.
Thomas Hanson says
So saddened to hear this. Godspeed and healing prayers for Mr. Brooks. Drivers in Flagler County please, please, please pay attention in these and all roadway matters. Practice defensive driving, situational awareness and keep your eyes scanning the road in front of you.
Been There says
Its not just Palm Coast, its everywhere. I was a fire fighter for 25 years, getting killed by traffic was the biggest threat I faced. Go work a highway incident, cars screaming past feet away at 70 mph. Best for a speedy recovery Steve, thanks for volunteering!
Poppa says
People are literally getting hurt or dying because they are jamming so many people up this community’s butt.
Shame on the county and shame on the developers turning this place into a fire sale. For example that teen that got ran over by a dump truck wouldn’t have been killed if there wasn’t dump trucks all over the county, at all times here because of all the construction.
I’ve been all over the country and I’ve never seen so many dump trucks in one place – cutting people off on Old Kings and other places. Is it the goal to raze all the vegetation and turn this into something like New York City?
Because if I wanted to live in NY I’d move there. People originally came here for a reason. Not fair that sprawl chases the people that invested here for the lack of it. It’s a disservice to the people that originally created the place and contributed to the community to its peak in the 1990s – now it’s just being destroyed.
Common Sense says
Oh wait your saying use Common Sense !
Common Sense says
We are the people of this community that have allowed it to create itself…. through GREED , not being content , deceit , resentment , ignorance , and plain old laziness ! Wake up , y’all have your thoughts and opinions but yet wake up every morning and plant your face into your phones as the your local community goes by…
Sue says
I live on sea trail and this story isn’t giving many facts as who was driving the bike?? Person on cell phone?? All I’ve heard is an excuse the sun might have been in drivers eyes who hit this gentleman ….. really you can see flashing lights and u r suppose to slow down!!! No excuse