STARKE, Fla. — (Note: The video above is from a previous report.)
A man is behind bars after authorities say he admitted to driving under the influence, which led to a crash in Bradford County Wednesday night.
The crash happened around 10:47 p.m. at the intersection of State Road 16 and County Road 233, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Upon arrival on the scene, authorities found a silver Dodge Ram flipped over on its roof on the side of County Road 233 with damage to the back of the vehicle.
There was also a blue Chevrolet Pickup Truck on the side of State Road 16 with damage to the front of the vehicle.
FHP said the driver of the Dodge, who was identified as Christopher Coldiron, 47, stated he was driving on County Road 233 and turned right and did not remember anything after that.
The driver of the truck told authorities that he was traveling on State Road 16 approaching the intersection of County Road 233 when he observed the Dodge not stop at the stop sign.
He went on to explain that he was unable to avoid hitting the Dodge.
While speaking with Coldiron, authorities noticed the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from his breath. They also said that he was unsteady on his feet and his eyes appeared to be bloodshot and watery.
When asked where he was coming from and going to, Coldiron stated he was coming from “Timbuktu”, and going to his girlfriend’s house. When asked if he had consumed anything to drink, he stated “about 6 beers and a shot of crown apple," according to an FHP report.
Timbuktu is a bar and package store in Starke.
Authorities asked if he was having dinner while drinking, and he stated it was a family get-together.
During the investigation, Coldiron agreed to perform standardized field sobriety exercises. While doing the exercises, officials noticed he had problems keeping his head still and maintaining the starting position. Coldiron also had difficulty maintaining his balance during the instruction phase, FHP said.
Based on the observations made by authorities, Coldiron was arrested for DUI and transported to the Bradford County Jail.
FHP said Coldiron spontaneously uttered “I’m f*****d” and “My career is over."
Coldiron also refused to provide a sample of his breath to determine its alcohol content but did apologize for the situation.