Florida Man News – July 29
July 29 – Florida Man Careens Off Cliff Amid Police Chase in New York
A Florida man’s vehicle went flying off of a cliff and plunged into the Long Island Sound.
Identified as Roger Foster of The Villages, Florida, the suspect led police on an hour-long chase across the North Fork peninsula of Suffolk County, New York. Foster allegedly sped as recklessly as 100 mph in a 55-mph zone. The pursuit only ended when the Foster drove off a precipice without stopping at the guardrail. His car fell 100 feet down into the water below at 67 Steps Beach on Sound Road in the town of Greenport, New York.
Police say the hunt began when Foster allegedly slashed the tire of his ex-wife’s 2018 Ford Escape parked at her workplace of the Southold Town Annex. According to reports, Foster then drove away in a silver Chevrolet Malibu with Florida license plates. Authorities responded to the incident and determined that the vandalism constituted a violation of the protective order the woman had received against Foster. The department issued two warrants for Foster’s arrest.
Authorities first attempted to apprehend Foster at a traffic stop on Middle Road in Southold. Although Foster initially complied, he quickly sped away as the deputy approached his vehicle. The ensuing chase involved Foster swerving through traffic in Southold and Riverhead before speeding into the town of Greenport. His reckless behavior escalated until the chase involved multiple patrol cars and the airborne assistance of Suffolk County Aviation helicopters.
After seeing Foster’s car plunge off of the cliff in Greenport, police entered the water to retrieve the Florida man and check for possible bodily harm. Officers arrested Foster and took him to Peconic Bay Hospital in Riverhead for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Rapid Recovery Towing of Long Island hoisted the vehicle from the five-foot deep water, allowing authorities to impound now-damaged Chevrolet. The Florida man has pled not guilty to unlawful fleeing, third-degree criminal mischief, and second-degree criminal contempt.
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July 29 – Florida Man Gives Unauthorized Driving Lessons to Drunken Friend
The road less traveled turned into the site of vehicular collision when an unlicensed and intoxicated Florida man received driving instructions to an equally unlicensed companion.
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), Eduardo Jose Merida Villatoro decided to give his friend Ely Ramiro Lucas a driving lesson in the Parkwood neighborhood of Stuart, Florida. Although Villatoro has never held so much as a valid driver’s license or identification card, he decided to offer Lucas the impromptu traffic course on the 6700 block of Amyris Court. Despite his recent consumption of alcohol, Lucas sat on the driver’s side of the black Ford Expedition SUV and began taking directions from his friend.
“This scenario did not make for a safe or successful ending,” MSCO said.
Onlookers reported that the SUV drove on and off the road while running stop signs. The weather conditions were also less than favorable. When Lucas confused the gas pedal with the brake pedal, the SUV slammed into a parked vehicle. The previously parked car then smashed into an occupied residential home. Household occupant Amy Stolzenfeld explained that she was preparing an evening meal for her two children when she heard an alarming boom just outside of her window.
“We had guardian angels watching over us,” Stolzenfeld said. She noted that her children were not playing in the yard as usual due to the inclement weather and rain. “It could’ve been unimaginable,” she added.
Although neither vehicle occupant reported injuries, estimated property damage exceeds $20,000. Since neither Villatoro nor Lucas have insurance, authorities note that the residents of Amyris Court will end up footing the bill.
Police arrested the pair of errant drivers, charging Lucas with a DUI resulting in property damage and for operating a car without a license. The police also charged Villatoro for knowingly allowing an unlicensed driver to use the car.