VERO BEACH — A St. Lucie County sheriff’s detective has been charged with felony DUI after an off-duty crash earlier this year that left a woman with a traumatic brain injury, authorities said.
Detective Tyler August Horstman, 30, of Vero Beach, turned himself in Monday afternoon after authorities issued a felony warrant. He faces a charge of driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol level of 0.15 or higher involving serious personal injury.
The crash happened about 11:25 p.m. on March 1 at the intersection of Beachland Boulevard and State Road A1A. Horstman was off duty and driving an unmarked 2021 Ford pickup truck belonging to the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office when he struck a 2018 Chevrolet Equinox, according to Vero Beach police and the arrest report.
Police said Horstman was traveling 63 mph in a 35 mph zone and entered the intersection on a green light. The Equinox, driven by 20-year-old Mariana Jimenez, entered against a red light. Jimenez and a 1-year-old child in her vehicle were taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce. Jimenez suffered a traumatic brain injury; the child was not injured. Horstman was also injured and had to be extricated from his truck by Indian River County Fire Rescue.
According to the arrest report, Horstman told responders he had “a few beers” earlier that evening. Officers noted a faint odor of alcohol and described him as lethargic, dazed, drowsy, and periodically dozing off.
The St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office received blood-test results on Sept. 9 showing Horstman’s blood-alcohol concentration was 0.246 — more than three times Florida’s 0.08 legal limit. Sheriff Richard Del Toro authorized an administrative investigation, and Horstman was placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 15. After the arrest, the agency moved him to unpaid administrative leave under policy.
Horstman, who has worked for the agency for five years, was booked into the Indian River County Jail at about 4:45 p.m. Monday and posted $15,000 bond later that evening. His arraignment is set for Dec. 9.
Vero Beach police are leading the criminal investigation. The sheriff’s office has put its internal investigation on hold pending the outcome of the criminal case.
“I recognize the seriousness of the allegations involving one of our deputies and the concerns this raises for our community and the members of our agency,” Del Toro said in a statement. “We hold our personnel to high standards of conduct, both on and off duty. … When an employee is accused of violating that responsibility, we must address it fairly and hold them accountable through the appropriate process.”
