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Florida Highway Patrol Names Toni Schuck Trooper of the Year
By Chief Jeffrey S. Dixon, Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, Florida Highway Patrol
On Feb. 25, Director of the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) Col. Gene Spaulding named Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Tpr. Toni Schuck as Trooper of the Year for her selfless act of heroism on the morning of March 6, 2022. Early that morning, Tpr. Schuck was working near the Sunshine Skyway bridge in Tampa, which was closed for the fifth annual Skyway 10K run. There were over 7,000 participants on the bridge during the event.
While the event was occurring, troopers were notified of a reckless driver heading toward the event area at a dangerously high speed. The driver had already maneuvered around and through several roadway lane closures, bypassing law enforcement personnel, highway signs, traffic cones and safety barrels. Tpr. Schuck, who was the last line of defense, quickly responded to the area and observed the reckless vehicle approaching with no indication of stopping. Without hesitation or regard for her own personal safety, in an act of bravery, Tpr. Schuck drove her patrol vehicle into a defensive position in the middle of the two-lane roadway and strategically positioned herself in front of the oncoming vehicle. The reckless vehicle struck Tpr. Schuck’s patrol vehicle in an imminently dangerous head-on collision, resulting in injuries to both Tpr. Schuck and the reckless driver who was later found to be driving while impaired.
Tpr. Schuck’s heroic action in the face of grave personal danger stopped a reckless driver who was endangering the lives of thousands of innocent and unsuspecting participants. Because Tpr. Shuck was on the bridge that morning, serving her community and the state of Florida, a tremendous tragedy was averted, and lives were saved. That day, Tpr. Shuck represented all the men and women of the Florida Highway Patrol and exemplified its motto: Courtesy * Service * Protection.
At the sixth annual Skyway 10K a year later, participants lined up to thank Tpr. Schuck for her life-saving actions. Though Tpr. Schuck had received many awards and recognitions to commend her heroic actions, she stated the following about the outpouring from the race participants: “To be honest, yesterday meeting all those runners, including ones that were running last year, was more memorable than any award I could ever receive. Those people are the reason we serve our communities, and I am proud to represent our agency and every member of FHP.”
