12/17/2025
Volusia Family Says FHP Threatened Citation After Deputy Rear-Ended Their Vehicle
A Volusia County family says they were threatened with traffic citations by the Florida Highway Patrol after their vehicle was rear-ended by a Volusia County sheriff’s deputy earlier this month.
According to the family, the crash left the female driver injured and transported to the hospital. When an FHP trooper arrived to investigate, the husband says the trooper focused on alleged violations involving the victims’ vehicle rather than the deputy who caused the collision.
The family says they were warned they could be cited over a license plate frame issue despite long-standing Florida case law holding that a license plate frame alone does not constitute a violation unless it actually obscures required information.
Florida courts addressed this directly in State v. Morris, where the Fourth District Court of Appeal ruled that a license plate frame is not per se illegal and does not justify enforcement unless it renders the plate unreadable.
Despite that ruling, law enforcement agencies across Florida have continued to misstate the law. Even after the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles issued public clarification correcting misinformation about the updated license-plate statute, agencies and even news outlets have continued to publish incorrect guidance.
The crash remains under review. No citation has been publicly disclosed as of publication.
