Officer injured in crash released from hospital
A Cape Coral police officer has been released from the hospital after sustaining serious injuries over the weekend in an off-duty traffic crash that is alcohol related.
As of Thursday, Officer Emily Jean Zyvoloski, 33, had been discharged from Lee Memorial Hospital, where she taken following the accident on Nicholas Parkway East, according to hospital officials.
A police report states that blood was taken from Zyvoloski at the hospital because alcohol use was suspected in the crash. The test found that she “had a medical blood alcohol content of 0.253.”
In Florida, any driver age 21 or older is “impaired” with a BAC of 0.08 or higher.
At about 2 a.m. Saturday, Zyvoloski was driving a Chevrolet SUV eastbound on Nicholas in the 400 block, according to police. She negotiated a right curve in the roadway, but failed to negotiate a left curve that came next. Instead, the vehicle continued to travel straight ahead, driving off the roadway.
The SUV entered the front yard of a home at 422 E. Nicholas Parkway, striking the garage and living room before coming to a final stop. The impact damaged two vehicles parked inside of the garage.
Police reported that the two occupants inside the house were not injured in the accident.
Zyvoloski was trauma-alerted to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. According to the report, staff determined at the hospital that she had sustained serious but non-life threatening injuries.
CCPD patrol units, forensics and major crash investigators responded to the scene. A city building inspector also responded as the home had significant structural damage as a result of the crash.
The report states that Zyvoloski was traveling an estimated 50 mph in a 40 mph zone prior to the accident. It also notes that she was operating the vehicle “in a careless or negligent manner.”
The SUV Zyvoloski was driving is a private vehicle.
A criminal investigation is underway, and charges are pending.
“It’s still under investigation,” Cpl. Phil Mullen, police spokesman, said on Thursday.
“I haven’t heard of any movement on anything,” he added.
Zyvoloski has been put on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
“We hold ourselves and our officers to the highest standards of conduct, both on and off-duty,” Police Chief Dave Newlan said in a prepared statement. “This crash is being investigated just like any other would be under similar circumstances. At the conclusion of the criminal investigation, the Professional Standards Bureau will conduct an internal investigation.”
Mullen explained that the criminal investigation must be completed first per statute.
“We cannot start the internal investigation until the criminal investigation is over,” he said. “We cannot start the internal investigation because the internal investigation could taint the criminal investigation.”
Mullen added that the internal investigation could take up to 180 days.
“It typically takes three to four weeks,” he said.
Zyvoloski has been employed with the Cape Coral Police Department since 2007, according to officials. Mostly recently, she had been serving as a desk officer within the Patrol Bureau.