Florida officer arrested for DUI after crashing state vehicle into tree, deputies say

DAVENPORT, Fla. (FOX 13) - A state law enforcement officer was arrested for DUI after his state-issued vehicle crashed into a tree and became stuck, deputies said.

After 2 a.m. Thursday, Polk County deputies responded to the crash along Interstate 4 in Davenport. They said the driver of a Ford Expedition was heading west on the highway before losing control of the vehicle. 

They identified the driver as 37-year-old Kendrick Carson Bridges, who lives in Polk County. They said one deputy smelled a strong odor of alcohol from Bridges’ breath. The deputy also noticed his movements were slow and his pupils were dilated.

They conducted a field sobriety test, and Bridges didn’t pass, deputies said. He was arrested for DUI and he refused to submit a breath sample for a blood alcohol test. 

Bridges is employed with the Division of Investigative & Forensic Services' Bureau of Fire, Arson, & Explosives Investigations in Lake Wales. The SUV he was driving was a state vehicle.