A driver is facing a felony charge after he was arrested for hitting a deputy on the Florida Turnpike as he drove around the scene of a crash, officials said. The injured deputy is currently in stable condition after undergoing surgery. According to investigators, Lonnel Brinson did not slow down past the Florida Highway Patrol and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office vehicles near Northwest 58th Street on the Turnpike, Saturday morning. The suspect, 28, swerved as he tried to avoid the crash and struck MDSO Deputy Leonard Cantave. Authorities said Cantave was on his way to work on Saturday when he heard a dispatch call about a crash and stopped to help troopers at the scene. That is when, officials said, Cantave struck the deputy. Deputies said the suspect stayed at the scene of the crash. Cantave, a 20-year law enforcement veteran, was airlifted to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital where he underwent surgery. Officials later confirmed he was recovering. “We’re just hoping and praying that he can see his way through this situation,” Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Assistant Sheriff Eric Garcia said at a press conference following the accident. According to his arrest report, Brinson had admitted to consuming alcohol and marijuana before the crash. He had also been driving with a suspended license. Brinson was taken to jail and charged with one count of felony reckless driving causing serious injury. Back at the scene of the crash, Florida Highway Patrol assisted with traffic control as the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigated. All lanes of the Turnpike were reopened later in the day. Authorities urge drivers to slow down and move over when approaching emergency scenes. “We cannot stress enough how important it is to our motorists, when they’re driving, and they’re approaching a traffic scene, to slow down and to move over, in order to prevent these types of incidents,” Garcia said. Brinson bonded out of jail on Sunday and is expected back in court in February. Cantave remains in stable condition as of Monday morning. ...read more read less