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Intoxicated driver arrested after abandoning crashed car on I-95 in Martin County

A damaged silver Toyota Tacoma pickup truck sits perpendicular across the center lanes of Interstate 95 after a crash. The truck has severe front-end damage and driver-side body damage, with a semi-truck stopped nearby.
Martin County Sheriff's Office
No injuries were reported.

A 29-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he crashed a vehicle on Interstate 95 in Martin County, abandoned it in the middle of the highway and fled the scene.

The Martin County Sheriff's Office responded to a single-vehicle crash on I-95 near Martin Highway (State Road 714), where deputies found the wrecked vehicle left perpendicular to the roadway in the center lane after it struck a guardrail.

According to the sheriff's office, the driver, identified as Galindo Juarez-Perez, fled on foot after the crash in an attempt to avoid arrest.

Deputies located and tracked Juarez-Perez, who surrendered near the SR-714 overpass, where he was taken into custody.

Juarez-Perez was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash involving damage, possession of heroin, driving without a valid license after never having been issued a valid Florida driver's license, and resisting arrest. The sheriff's office said Juarez-Perez is from Guatemala.

Traffic was disrupted for a period following the crash, but no injuries were reported.

Juarez-Perez was transported to the Martin County Jail, where he was being processed.

Justin serves as News Director with WQCS and IRSC Public Media.