On this day, Toni was assigned to the Skyway 10K race in St. Petersburg, Florida. The race, at one point, leads runners over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge which covers three Florida counties and serves as the breathtaking setting for the 6.2-mile course. Other than the runners crossing the finish line, the day should have been an uneventful one. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case when a drunk driver from Sarasota, FL drove their BMW at a high rate of speed past traffic barriers meant to keep traffic away from the runners. After several unsuccessful attempts by state law enforcement officers to get the driver to stop, there was one last barrier between the intoxicated driver and the unsuspecting runners… Trooper Toni Schuck.

We can speak from firsthand experience that when faced with emergency situations, the last thing you think of is yourself. Basically, instinct takes over and you do what is needed to resolve the situation quickly and with little to no consequence. This is exactly what happened with Toni.

After hearing that the driver had made it past all the previous barricades, Trooper Schuck, a 26-year veteran of the FHP, realized that she was the last line of defense between the vehicle and thousands of runners. Quickly and selflessly, she proceeded to maneuver her patrol vehicle to block the path of the oncoming speeding car, causing a head on collision between the two vehicles and successfully stopping the driver from potentially causing catastrophic injury to the race participants. Amazingly, only minor injuries from the crash were incurred by Trooper Schuck and the drunk driver which required a brief hospital stay. After the incident, she was awarded several honors including the “Back the Blue” award from Florida’s Attorney General, the “InVest USA Heroism” award, and the “key” to St. Petersburg, Florida. She was also named Officer of the Month for March by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.

Beyond the Badge NY is proud to recognize Florida State Trooper Toni Schuck for her extreme act of bravery and courage. Her swift actions and disregard for her own personal safety prevented what would have been a disastrous and grave situation. We are grateful for her service and that of every law enforcement officer like her that puts on the uniform to protect life and liberty of the communities they serve. Thank you Toni and God Bless You!