A 3-year-old boy was hit by a Jeep at the University Boulevard beach access in Volusia County on Saturday afternoon, turning a beach day into a brief emergency. He was rushed to Halifax Health Medical Center as a trauma alert, and officials later said doctors determined he did not need surgery and released him.
According to deputies, the crash happened around 4:14 p.m. when the child ran from the ocean toward the traffic lanes and into the path of a slowly moving Jeep. The driver did not have time to react before the vehicle struck the boy. Deputies conducted field sobriety exercises at the scene and said they found probable cause to charge the driver with DUI causing serious bodily injury, as reported by WFTV.
Beach Driving Rules And Special-Event Enforcement
Volusia County allows vehicle access on specific stretches of beach, and ramps like University Boulevard are set up to separate parked cars and traffic lanes from pedestrian areas. The Sheriff’s Office has also created a Special Event Zone that covers the A1A corridor, including the University Boulevard access. The zone brings enhanced enforcement, doubled fines, and the possibility of vehicle impoundment for violations, measures that shape how deputies handle crowded beach approaches, according to the Volusia County Sheriff's Office.
Driver Arrested After Witnesses Reported Drinking
Deputies identified the driver as 36-year-old Brock Winkler of Lakeland. Witnesses told investigators Winkler had been drinking before the crash, and deputies said they photographed multiple empty beer cans near the parked vehicle. According to WFTV, Winkler refused to take a breath test, was taken into custody, and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail. The jail is listed at 1300 Red John Drive in Daytona Beach on the county corrections site.
What The Charge Could Mean
Under Florida law, causing serious bodily injury while driving under the influence is a felony offense. A DUI that results in serious bodily injury is classified as a third-degree felony under Section 316.193. In crashes involving serious bodily injury, law enforcement is allowed to require a blood test and may use reasonable force to obtain that sample under Section 316.1933, steps prosecutors can rely on when building a case. See the Florida Senate and Florida Senate sites for the statutory language.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office says the investigation is ongoing, and the case will move through the local court system. Booking records and future court filings are expected to add more detail as they become public, and this article will be updated when official documents or other public records are available.
