Airfest 2024 honors ‘hero’ Trooper Toni Schuck with Thunderbird flight: ‘I am still in shock’
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A Bay Area hero soared with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds on Thursday ahead of the Tampa Bay AirFest at MacDill Air Force Base.
Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Toni Schuck who saved approximately 8,000 runners participating in the Skyway 10K from potential harm when she moved her vehicle into the path of a drunk driver who was headed toward the bridge, was recognized with an opportunity to fly in one of the Thunderbirds famous F-16 Fighting Falcons.
"The scariest, most intense thing I've ever done," Schuck said after the high-speed acrobatic ride-along.
According to the Department of Defense, many people were submitted for a chance to fly with the Thunderbirds, but Schuck stood out for ‘exemplifying one of the Air Force core values, service before self.’
Though many people consider Schuck a hero, she says she was just doing her job.
"I was sworn to protect and that’s what I felt I did. Hero, that’s just a title," Schuck told reporters days after the crash. "If that’s what they want to say then that’s great. I just feel that's what I had to do. I didn’t want to do it, but I had to do it.
On March 6, 2022, Schuck was working for the Skyway 10K, which benefits the Armed Forces Family Foundation, when she heard a radio call saying a driver hadn’t stopped for the road closure.
The driver, Kristen Watts, 52, of Sarasota, kept going through the barricades, blowing past traffic cones, barriers, and law enforcement officers.
Instead of letting Watts get onto the Skyway Bridge, Trooper Schuck veered her Chevy Tahoe into her path -- knowing she was the last line of defense to keep the suspected drunk driver from endangering the lives of the runners on the bridge.
The impact crushed both vehicles, sending both Watts and Schuck to the hospital.
Schuck said she was able to walk from her patrol vehicle to the ambulance before the pain kicked in. As she was taken over the Skyway, she became emotional seeing runners on the bridge.
"I saw people still there and it really overwhelmed me. It was just a situation where I knew there were people there and I’m thankful it was me. I’m thankful she didn’t get past me," Schuck said with tears in her eyes. "Of course, in our jobs, we are to protect and serve."
RELATED: Woman accused of slamming into troopers protecting Skyway 10K runners wants felony charge dropped
Troopers say Watts’ blood alcohol level at the hospital registered at .271 – more than three times the legal limit of .08. Six hours later, at the Manatee County Jail, it was still above the legal limit, registering at .094.
Schuck had a long road to recovery, but hopes her story has a positive impact, especially on women who want to go into law enforcement.
Schuck was recognized as the 2023 National Trooper of the Year.
She noted that both her husband and son served in the Air Force and while she is a little nervous, she is more excited to fly with the Thunderbirds this weekend.
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