Deputy's car flattened after accident

PENSACOLA, Fla. (WALA) - An Escambia County Sheriff’s deputy who attempted to respond to a call on Wednesday morning lost control of her car, which jumped an embankment.

Drivers at Mobile Highway and New Warrington Road saw quite a scene during their morning commute. The mangled remains of a former patrol car lay on the ground below the overpass.

Photos: Deputy's car flattened after accident

The Escambia County Sheriff's office said around 7:20 Wednesday morning, Deputy Melissa Scruggs was responding to an armed disturbance call when her car veered off the road.

Lt. Kenneth Salter with the Florida Highway Patrol said, "She struck a guard rail on the right side, then came across, struck the guard rail on the left side, and then subsequently went over a barrier wall that was located between the two bridge embankments."

When emergency crews arrived, they had to pry Scruggs out of the totaled car.

She was taken to Baptist Hospital in critical condition. A hospital official said Scruggs' injuries included two broken ribs and liver damage. The hospital says her condition is improving.

The Florida Highway Patrol says these rails are designed to prevent these accidents.

Salter said, "But things do happen. They're not fool-proof."

Investigators are waiting for the dash-cam video as they figure out how fast Scruggs was going, and how exactly this happened.

It’s quite a distance from the guardrail to the embankment, yet the deputy still had enough momentum to fall down the hill. The Florida Highway Patrol said Scruggs was not wearing a seatbelt which an ESCO spokesperson said is against policy.