CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. — Newly released audio recordings are shedding more light on what happened the night a Citrus County deputy nearly lost his life.
The audio also reveals a fellow deputy raised safety concerns before his colleague was hit by a car near Lecanto.
The audio recordings contain the radio transmissions made by Citrus County deputies as they directed traffic after a graduation ceremony at Lecanto High School on the night of May 23, 2023.
On the dark, rainy evening, Deputy Andy Lahera — a beloved school resource deputy — was hit by a teenage driver who stayed on the scene and was never charged nor found to be at fault.
Lahera is still in the hospital and can no longer communicate or function as he once did.
This year, around the anniversary of the accident, a rumor began to circulate: safety concerns were raised but dismissed just minutes before Lahera’s serious injury.
In late May, ABC Action News requested the audio recordings from the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office but was told the audio was destroyed one year after the incident — mere days before the request was submitted — as policy dictates.
In early June, ABC Action News also requested the same materials from the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) since the agency had investigated the crash. FHP emailed the audio and other documents to ABC Action News on Monday, Aug. 12.
The audio suggests Lahera was never in harm’s way until a higher-ranking deputy made a decision to help traffic flow better from the graduation ceremony by opening a gate and allowing traffic to enter Lecanto Highway — Highway 491 — from Saunders Way.
“We can move some deputies out to that location on 491 because they’re just standing around here,” the unnamed deputy says in the recording.
That decision, however, was quickly questioned by Sgt. Jonathan Holtzhouse, another supervising deputy on the scene. He pointed out that the intersection at Highway 491 and Saunders Way wasn’t properly lit.
“There’s no lighting there at that intersection,” Holtzhouse radioed.
“That’s why a patrol car is filled with lights,” the unnamed deputy responds.
“Alright,” Holtzhouse responds reluctantly. “10-4.”
Deputy Andy Lahera and a partner were sent to the intersection, and just 22 minutes later, Lahera was hit by the driver, and his partner radioed for help.
“Andy! Andy!” the deputy shouts as he frantically radios for help. “I need EMS at Saunders [Way]!”
Lahera’s son, Nicholas, has listened to the audio.
“It was difficult,” he said.
A report FHP also released to ABC Action News on Monday suggests the driver who hit Lahera did not see him.
Nicholas believes it’s clear his father was put in harm’s way unnecessarily.
“You can’t evade harm in law enforcement, but there are times when, you know, safety still needs to be at the forefront,” he said. “We can’t go back and prevent the accident. But having the truth out there — people need to know that mistakes were made that night.”
The audio recordings are the latest source of pain for Nicholas and his mother, Michelle Lahera.
Months ago, they also learned that the sheriff’s office might terminate Andy Lahera’s employment because of his prolonged recovery. The looming decision previously sparked public outcry directed at Sheriff Mike Prendergast.
“It falls to us — the beneficiaries of his bravery — to ensure he is not abandoned in his hour of need,” said one community member at a Citrus County commission meeting on May 28.
Tuesday, ABC Action News emailed the sheriff’s office a list of questions, including:
- Will Lahera be terminated?
- Will he continue to receive benefits?
- Were the decisions leading up to his life-altering injury ever reviewed?
So far, the sheriff’s office has not responded.
The sheriff previously told us he is 100% committed to his injured deputy.
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