A man with two outstanding warrants was arrested Saturday afternoon after allegedly fleeing the scene of a crash on Interstate 4 and attempting to evade troopers by shedding clothing and hiding behind a Lakeland business.
According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the crash happened around 2:45 p.m. on April 12 near mile marker 38 on I-4 eastbound. Witnesses reported seeing a man—later identified by authorities only as Ramos—flee the scene on foot after crashing into a black BMW driven by a juvenile.
Several witnesses followed Ramos off the highway and behind the Novo building, where he was seen jumping a fence and removing his clothing in an apparent attempt to avoid detection. One witness pursued him on a motorcycle and saw him disappear into a wooded area. Moments later, troopers located Ramos sitting on a curb with two witnesses who positively identified him as the driver who fled the crash.
When questioned, troopers say Ramos reeked of alcohol and admitted to drinking six beers before getting behind the wheel. He also allegedly told officers he ran from the crash because he has no driver’s license and was concerned “because of the immigration stuff going on.”
A Spanish-speaking officer was called to assist with translation, and Ramos agreed to perform field sobriety tests, all of which reportedly indicated impairment. Breath tests later showed blood alcohol concentrations of .115 and .156—well above the legal limit of .08.
Ramos was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail for driving under the influence. Authorities say he also had two active warrants—one from DeSoto County and another from Orange County.
Words escape me.