MATLACHA, Fla. —
New information has been released on the Matlacha crash outside of That BBQ Place that killed an 80-year-old woman and sent four others to the hospital.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, 24-year-old Cody Curtis, the man accused of crashing his vehicle into a group of people on April 13, told FHP troopers on the scene that he looked down at his phone moments before the crash. He then told troopers he didn’t know what he hit after that.
FHP learned that Curtis was at Phuzzy’s Boat Shack with a coworker prior to the crash. They reportedly went to the bar in St. James City at around 1:30 p.m. after work. Curtis told troopers he drank two beers and had a grouper sandwich. On April 16, FHP received surveillance video from the restaurant, which showed Curtis stumbling and losing his balance while leaving the bar at around 5:33 p.m. Just minutes later, he got in his vehicle and sped out of the parking lot.
In the aftermath of the crash, troopers on the scene could smell the alcohol on Curtis, and he had bloodshot eyes and slurred speech. After initially agreeing to participate in a BAC test, Curtis withdrew his consent.
Troopers had to wait for a search warrant on the scene, and Curtis’s BAC wasn’t taken until 10:10 p.m., more than four hours after the crash.
Toxicology reports came back Monday afternoon, and it was discovered Curtis had a BAC of .137%.
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Source: nbc-2
