Inset: Brock A. Winkler (Volusia County Sheriff’s Office). Background: Beer cans allegedly found behind Winkler’s Jeep after he struck a 3-year-old in Florida (VCSO).
A Florida man, aged 36, faces accusations of seriously injuring a 3-year-old boy after allegedly consuming alcohol and then driving his Jeep, which struck the child as he ran away from the ocean on Daytona Beach.
Over the weekend, authorities arrested Brock Adam Winkler. He has been charged with driving under the influence (DUI) causing serious bodily harm and refusing to undergo DUI testing, as officials confirmed following the incident.
The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office released a statement detailing the events, reporting that deputies responded to a 911 call at around 4:14 p.m. on Saturday. The call reported a child being hit by a Jeep near the University Boulevard beach access.
Upon arrival, first responders were informed by a witness that the young boy had been running from the ocean and suddenly dashed in front of the Jeep, which hit him at a slow speed. Winkler, the Jeep’s driver, stayed at the scene as officials conducted their investigation.
The injured child was transported to Halifax Health Medical Center, flagged as a trauma alert due to his young age. He sustained a concussion and a minor fracture to his cervical spine. Fortunately, surgery was not necessary, and he was discharged after receiving treatment.
An initial investigation revealed that the accident occurred because the child ran into the traffic lane. As a result, no traffic citation was issued directly related to the crash.
Despite the finding on how the collision occurred, multiple witnesses allegedly told deputies that Winkler had been drinking immediately before the collision. A photo from the scene posted to the sheriff’s Facebook page showed “several empty beer cans left behind where he was parked.”
An arrest affidavit obtained by local NBC affiliate WESH provided some additional information about the circumstances of Winkler’s arrest. The document states that one of the responding deputies observed Winkler exhibiting “extreme changes in behavior, to include crying” that was immediately followed by “talking normally.” They also noted that Winkler began chewing gum shortly after deputies reached the scene.
Winkler reportedly told authorities he worked in the construction industry and was blind in his left eye, though his driver’s license did not indicate a requirement for corrective lenses.
Deputies conducted field sobriety exercises and said they found probable cause to charge him with DUI causing serious bodily injury. Winkler allegedly refused to submit to a breath test, leading to an additional charge.
Following his arrest, Winkler told deputies he was on pretrial release out of Polk County, Florida, in connection with a burglary case involving his ex-wife, according to the report.
Winkler remained in custody at the Volusia County Jail Monday morning on $11,000 bond. It was not immediately clear when he was scheduled to make his next appearance in court.
