Florida police officer drives over man lying on beach, authorities say

INDIAN ROCKS BEACH, Fla. — A man lying on a Florida beach was injured Friday after an officer drove a police cruiser over him, authorities said.

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According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, William Koziarz, 66, of Michigan, was taken to an area hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

Deputies said Indian Shores Police Department Officer Natasha Hindman, 27, was driving a fully marked 2018 Ford Explorer police cruiser Friday at 6 p.m., WTSP reported.

Hindman had just begun her beach patrol and was driving slowly along the sand when the left tires of her vehicle drove over Koziarz’s hips, the Times reported.

According to a news release from the Sheriff’s Office, Hindman stopped and immediately gave aid until paramedics arrived.

Investigators said neither speed nor impairment were factors in the incident, adding an investigation is ongoing, WTSP reported.

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