VERO BEACH — St. Lucie County Deputy Tyler August Horstman was placed on unpaid administrative leave after an arrest following a DUI crash that left a woman with a severe traumatic brain injury in Vero Beach. The off-duty crash happened while Horstman, a detective, was driving an agency vehicle, according to St. Lucie County sheriff's officials. [caption id="attachment_237653" align="alignleft" width="247"]<img class=" wp-image-237653" title="05fbc7d0 d492 49ea 9455 0c139c23f7ed" src="https://veronews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/05fbc7d0-d492-49ea-9455-0c139c23f7ed.jpg" alt="05fbc7d0 d492 49ea 9455 0c139c23f7ed" width="247" height="383" /> SLCSO Deputy Tyler Horstman SCREENSHOT[/caption] Horstman, 30, of Vero Beach, was charged with driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury to another. Horstman was released Monday from the Indian River County Jail on a $15,000 bond. <span style="font-weight: 400;">"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," St. Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro said in a statement. "We hold our personnel to high standards of conduct, both on and off duty." </span> <strong>Deputy 'trapped' in vehicle after crash</strong> The wreck occurred about 11 p.m. in early March at Beachland Boulevard and State Road A1A on the beachside, said Lt. Chris Roberts, a criminal investigations public information officer for Vero Beach police. St. Lucie County sheriff's officials said the crash happened March 2, but Vero Beach police clarified the incident occurred March 1. A woman in a 2018 Chevy sports utility vehicle was headed southbound on State Road A1A and approached the intersection at Beachland Boulevard. A one-year-old child was also in the Chevy, according to police. Horstman was driving his agency vehicle, a 2021 Ford pickup truck, eastbound on Beachland Boulevard and approaching the same intersection. Vero Beach police said Horstman was traveling 63 mph in a 35-mph zone when he drove through the intersection with a green light. Officers said the woman had a red light when she entered the intersection. The Ford's left front bumper struck the right side of the Chevy, causing the Ford to veer into a pedestrian signal and a tree, reports show. The Chevy came to a stop east of the intersection on Beachland Boulevard. Indian River County Fire Rescue crews used equipment to open the Ford's door and free Horstman from the vehicle, reports show. Horstman, along with the woman and infant in the Chevy, each were taken to HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital in Fort Pierce for medical treatment. Horstman told fire rescue crews he had "a few beers" earlier that evening, according to reports. Updates on the conditions of the woman and the infant were not immediately available. The Vero Beach Police Department took over the investigation. <strong>The investigation</strong> St. Lucie County sheriff's officials were notified Sept. 9 that Horstman's blood test results came back with a blood alcohol concentration of .246, more than three times the legal limit, authorities said. Del Toro immediately authorized an administrative investigation, sheriff's officials said. Horstman was initially placed on paid administrative leave on Sept. 15. On Monday, Oct. 26, a felony warrant was issued for Horstman's arrest. Horstman turned himself in to the Indian River County Jail and was then placed on unpaid administrative leave in accordance with agency policy, sheriff's officials said. He has worked at the St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office for five years. The St. Lucie County sheriff's internal investigation is on hold pending the outcome of the Vero Beach Police Department's criminal investigation. <span style="font-weight: 400;">"Our responsibility to uphold the law comes with an expectation that we follow it ourselves. When an employee is accused of violating that responsibility, we must address it fairly and hold them accountable through the appropriate process," Del Toro said in a statement. </span> <span style="font-weight: 400;">"The men and women of this agency work every day to earn the trust of our community, and we will continue to hold ourselves to the standards that trust requires." </span> <em>Photos by Joshua Kodis</em> [gallery ids="237660,237661,237662,237663,237664,237665"]