Crime & Public Safety
Driver Arrested on DUI-Related Charges After West Palm Beach Crash, Deputies Say
A crash in West Palm Beach left a vehicle with heavy front-end damage and led to the arrest of a visiting driver on suspicion of impaired driving, deputies say. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office records indicate the collision occurred at Okeechobee Boulevard and Indian Road at about 10:24 p.m., when a white Volkswagen Jetta was reported to have skidded, struck two other vehicles and deployed its airbag.
A witness told deputies they heard the crash, saw the Jetta skid and then ran to check on the driver. Deputies reported encountering the driver at the scene with slurred speech, watery eyes, dilated pupils and an odor of alcohol. According to the probable cause affidavit, the driver refused to perform field sobriety exercises after being warned that refusal could be used in criminal proceedings.
Investigators say an inventory of the driver’s belongings yielded multiple alcoholic beverage containers. Deputies reported finding one open BeatBox wine container inside the vehicle and nine BeatBox drinks in the driver’s bags, seven of which were empty; the drinks were listed at 11.1% alcohol by volume. The agency arrested the driver on suspicion of DUI with property damage and cited refusal to submit to DUI testing and refusal to sign a citation.
Court records reflect charges including DUI with property damage, refusal to submit to DUI testing and refusal to sign a citation. Those are the documented allegations and the current publicly recorded case status; agency allegations are noted from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office probable cause affidavit.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
More Palm Beach County news · Request a correction or case update
All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.