Trooper bodycam shows immediate aftermath of DeSantis crash

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Back on July 25 of this year, Florida Governor and Republican Presidential Candidate Ron DeSantis was visiting Chattanooga when his motorcade got into a crash on I-75.

Now, after working with our sister station WKMG in Orlando, we have obtained body cameras of several of the Tennessee Highway Patrol troopers who worked that incident through a public records request. 

Florida law enforcement assigned to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis saying they need to get the Governor rolling again immediately after a crash on I-75. (Courtesy: THP)

The first responding Tennessee law officer was a THP trooper, whose body cam provides a new angle of the crash’s aftermath.

He responded to a white limousine that was in the front of the motorcade, containing Governor DeSantis and multiple staffers.

That’s when the trooper gets a request from a Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Protective Operations officer, who serves as the Governor’s security.

Trooper: I’ve got everybody coming quickly.

DeSantis Security: I need EMS going toward the residence where we’re going, not lights and sirens, we’ve got a staffer that needs to be checked out.

Trooper: EMS?

DeSantis Security: EMS going to the residence.

The urgency of Governor DeSantis’ staff to get things moving was on display, despite three rental vehicles being immobilized.

DeSantis Security: Hey, are you able to move up a little bit?

Trooper: This has to go?

DeSantis Security: This has to move. This has to go.

Trooper: Ok, we’re just going to send him off?

DeSantis Security: Yeah.

Even 20 minutes after the incident, non-standard crash protocol was enacted.

Trooper: It’s a little bit of clean up because these are all rentals, and we’re trying to figure it out.

First Responder: So has somebody gone to check on him, make sure he’s good, the Governor? And get the vehicle information from him?

Trooper: I will, Captain is going to where he’s at right now and he’ll probably beat me there.

The Governor was immediately taken to his scheduled meeting with a private donor, which in the footage a trooper mentioned was near the Veterans Bridge in downtown Chattanooga.

Most of the individual body cams last near an hour, including one trooper that had to cancel a traffic stop on Highway 58 to respond, arriving nearly 15 minutes after the Governor had left.

Trooper: Hey there.

Driver: Hey.

Trooper: Just going to give you a warning to slow down for me. It’s 55 through here. Slow down for me, ok?

Driver: Ok. Thank you sir.

Staffers told police a dog had run out in front of their motorcade, causing a chain reaction.

We have asked both THP and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement further about if the out of state officers would have had the right to give orders to Tennessee troopers in T-H-P’s jurisdiction, but have not received a response.