A Homestead, Florida man was arrested on Saturday after a deputy witnessed him commit a hit-and-run on U.S. 1.
Cristhian Andres Perez, 25, was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of a crash.
Around 7:48 p.m., an MCSO deputy was in the middle of an unrelated traffic stop when he saw a white SUV driving in the wrong lane near Mile Marker 106. According to the report, the SUV was traveling northbound in the southbound lane, where it struck an object, stopped for a brief second and then continued on its way. A few moments later, the SUV crossed the median into the correct lane.
The deputy suspended his traffic stop and began to pursue the vehicle, catching up to it near the top of Jewfish Creek Bridge at Mile Marker 107. The deputy reported the SUV had sustained significant damage from the impact, with the windshield shattered and a dent in the hood. Furthermore, there was glass all over the driver, and the back seats of the vehicle.
After meeting with the driver, identified as Perez, the deputy suspected he was intoxicated. There was a significant odor of alcohol, and Perez’s eyes were bloodshot and glassy. Meanwhile, another deputy reported that the object Perez struck was a pole in the median of U.S. 1, which had a matching paint transfer consistent with impact.
Deputies asked Perez to perform a field sobriety test, but he refused. He was taken to the Plantation Key DUI room, where he ultimately blew a .138 blood-alcohol level. Deputies then took him to the hospital to be cleared medically, and later transported him to the Plantation Key jail, where he was released the next day after posting a $5,500 bond.
Information in the Crime Report is obtained from reports provided by area law enforcement agencies.
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