Photo: MCSO
A driver is facing DUI charges after deputies say her SUV went airborne, crashed into a railroad crossing arm and flipped onto its side near the tracks in Martin County.
The crash happened along Southeast Dixie Highway, where investigators say the SUV left the roadway, struck the railroad crossing and snapped the crossing arm in half before coming to rest on its side. Debris from the crash remained scattered around the area even after the crossing arm was repaired.
The driver, M, 35, was arrested early Tuesday morning on a DUI charge.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said the outcome could have been worse.
“We have lost several lives at that railroad crossing,” Budensiek said. “She’s extremely fortunate that she came out of this alive, and she’s even more fortunate that she didn’t hurt somebody.”
The crash is one of four separate DUI arrests made by the Martin County Sheriff’s Office this week.
In another case Monday, deputies arrested M, 51, after a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer reportedly saw her drinking a beer while driving. Deputies also said she did not have a valid driver’s license.
That same night, deputies arrested E, 26, who is accused of driving the wrong way on Kanner Highway while impaired.
The latest DUI arrest came Wednesday afternoon after deputies say a man crashed his truck on I-95 near State Road 710, abandoned it in the middle of the roadway and ran into nearby bushes to hide.
“He left the car parked sideways in the middle of I-95,” Budensiek said. “One of our deputies had to run him down, tackle him, and take him into custody. He had alcohol bottles in there and heroin. No driver’s license, no insurance, and he’s currently in custody in our jail.”
According to the sheriff, DUI arrests have gradually increased over the past five years as deputies encounter more impaired drivers on local roads. So far this year, the sheriff’s office has made 349 DUI-related arrests.
“We never let off the gas as far as targeting impaired drivers. We’re always on them,” Budensiek said. “In Martin County, we take DUIs extremely serious. They’re misdemeanors. They can seem insignificant, but we’ve seen countless number of people die or become seriously injured as a result of these DUI crashes.”
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office has a dedicated DUI unit focused on identifying and prosecuting impaired drivers.
“Their job is to go out and hunt down these DUI drivers at night,” Budensiek said. “We push hard to keep the public safe, and these DUI drivers are extremely dangerous to our community.”
Despite the severity of the crashes and arrests this week, no one suffered serious injuries.
One trend that concerns deputies is when these arrests are happening. Budensiek said DUI arrests were once far more common overnight, but deputies are now seeing an increasing number of impaired drivers on the roads during the day.
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Source: Cbs12
