Florida police officer on mission to save lives by getting drunk drivers off the road

WINTER PARK, Fla. - Winter Park Police Officer Craig Campbell is on a mission to save lives through DUI enforcement.

While working to make the roads safer, he can also find himself in harm's way.

The damage on Campbell’s patrol car could have easily been more than a few scratches if he hasn’t been standing just a few feet away.

He had just pulled over a suspected drunk driver.

"She regained her consciousness and didn’t realize what was going on and she proceeded to drive and drove right into the corner of my patrol vehicle," Campbell said.

He said accidents like that are preventable and that’s why he takes a proactive approach by looking out for drunk drivers.

"The bars will let out and now you’re starting to see your pattern of people driving up and down Fairbanks or Orlando Avenue and these are the heavy parts of the city that we find mostly taken by our drunk drivers," Campbell said. 

With more than 30 years under his belt working in law enforcement, the military veteran and former school resource officer is also warning teenagers about the dangers and consequences of drunk driving with prom season coming up.

"The problem comes once you get behind that wheel of a vehicle, that vehicle is now a 5000 pound bullet," Campbell said. "So it can go anywhere. It can cause any kind of destruction. It can damage property and it can kill people. Our role is saving lives."

Winter Park Police Chief Tim Volkerskn said he has no doubt that Campbell is making our roads safer.

"Every time he’s able to take an impaired driver off the street he’s potentially saving a life," Volkerson said. "He’s very passionate about that and we’re grateful for what he does."