FLORIDA CITY, Fla. – Newly released body camera video shows the moments a drunk driver slammed into a Florida City police vehicle.
The video shows just how close the crash came to tragedy for at least two officers on the night of Jan. 23.
The Florida City officers were investigating a robbery when the crash occurred.
A passenger walked out of a silver Honda sedan moments after it veered off the road and collided with the police car.
Officers had to use a knife to cut the driver out of the Honda. The man behind the wheel could be seen in the video crying.
Paramedics arrived shortly after the crash to tend to the injured officer.
The driver, identified as 19-year-old Giovanni Mendez-Simon, was placed in handcuffs before asking his passenger to call his mom.
The young man admitted to an officer that he did not have a license to drive.
When detectives began interrogating him about driving under the influence, Mendez-Simon also told them he was drinking because he is broken-hearted, and when people are in love, he said, people make mistakes.
Authorities said Mendez-Simon tested for twice the amount of the legal alcohol limit to drive.
After the crash, police said the officer who was hurt was expected to make a full recovery.