Man runs from scene of Cape Coral Pkwy crash while holding bottle of rum, officers say

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Cape Coral police arrested a man after a car ended up on top of a cement barrier on Saturday night.

According to the Cape Coral Police Department, officers responded to reports of a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Santa Barbara Boulevard South and Cape Coral Parkway East.

When officers arrived, they found a white Honda Civic resting on top of a concrete barrier. Witnesses at the scene identified the driver to the officers. When officers approached the driver, he began running east on Cape Coral Parkway, CCPD said.

Officers yelled out for the man to stop, but he did not comply and continued running, CCPD said. Officers caught up to him, took him into custody, and returned to the crash site.

The man was identified as James Taylor, 32. Officers said that at one point, Taylor told them he was going to jail and that he was "[Expletive] up." Taylor was carrying a bottle of rum while running from the crash scene, CCPD said.

Officers then viewed dashboard camera footage from a witness, which showed the white Honda Civic failing to correctly turn to travel eastbound on Cape Coral Parkway East before crashing into the concrete barrier.

Officers conducted field sobriety tests on Taylor, and had him provide breath samples, which resulted in readings of 0.156 and 0.166, CCPD said.

Upon searching the vehicle, officers located a scoop inside Taylor's wallet, which tested positive for cocaine, according to CCPD.

Taylor was arrested and faces charges of DUI, two counts of DUI property damage, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, resisting an officer without violence and possession of drug paraphernalia.

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