Car Plows into Helicopter at Fla. Crash Scene

A suspected drunk driver crashed into a medical helicopter this morning that was getting ready to take a pedestrian – who had also been hit by a car – to a hospital, troopers say.

The helicopter was stopped in the middle of westbound U.S. Highway 192 at State Road 429 shortly before 2 a.m. to pick up the pedestrian, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.

Emergency vehicles were blocking the lanes, but troopers say a car managed to get around them.

It then crashed into the rear rotor of the helicopter, damaging the craft and forcing crews to have it towed away, FHP said.

Cameron Sunderly, 20, and a passenger were in the car at the time and told troopers they were headed home from an Applebee's restaurant, an arrest report states.

Neither was injured.

Troopers first spoke with the passenger, who "seemed so confused as to which direction he was coming from" and "like he was going to cry," according to the report.

They then talked with Sunderly, who was driving, and said they "could immediately detect the obvious odor of an alcoholic beverage," the report states.

Sunderly refused to answer any questions from troopers, but agreed to take a field sobriety test at the scene, according to the report.

Troopers said he was swaying while standing and at one point, apologized for "all this."

He later told them, "I really appreciate you for keeping people like me off the street," troopers said.

Sunderly was arrested about two hours after the crash and eventually taken to a holding area at the Orange County Jail, where he was agreed to a breath-alcohol test, according to the report.

Troopers said he blew a .18 – more than two times the legal limit for Florida drivers. The test was taken nearly five hours after the crash, according to FHP.

Details about the pedestrian crash haven't been released.

Authorities shut down the intersection, which is west of Celebration in the Four Corners area, near Disney World.

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