BODY CAM FOOTAGE: Distracted Driver Slams into Police Cruiser in Lake Wales

A distracted driver slammed into a police cruiser and another car when an officer was trying to help stranded bystanders on a Lake Wales highway on Tuesday night.

Officer Jacob Raines stopped on the side of Highway 27 in Lake Wales to assist stranded drivers remove their car from a ditch, according to police. But before Officer Raines could finish helping the stranded drivers, a car slammed into the officer's police cruiser.

The cruiser was parked in part of the roadway with the emergency lights enabled. However, this didn't stop a driver from heading right toward them. Lake Wales Police Department says the officer tried to alert the driver with a flashlight, but this didn't stop the motorist.

As you can see in the body cam footage, the driver slammed into the back of the police cruiser which caused it to spin out into the road. The driver then hit a Ford Mustang that was parked along the highway.

The Ford Mustang collision caused one man to fall to the ground and hit a juvenile in the hand. Lake Wales Police Department said they did not sustain any injuries.

The driver has been identified at Jose Antonio Cuevas, a Fort Myers resident. Police say he was texting and driving.

According to the LWPD Facebook page, Chief Chris Velasquez said, “Had officer Raines still been in front of his patrol car at the time of the crash this story would have ended much differently”.

Here are pictures of the aftermath.