Kyle Schmidt
•6/20/2026
Lee County deputies arrested Ernesto Ortiz after he reportedly crashed his yellow Hummer into a guardrail on Corkscrew Road near I-75 and blamed the incident on a traffic light. Deputies said Ortiz claimed, "It was the light's fault." Witnesses told deputies Ortiz had just left Duffy’s Sports Bar, located less than a mile from the crash site. According to the arrest report, witnesses also said Ortiz was trying to free his car from the guardrail in an attempt to leave. Ann Chavez of Bonita Springs expressed concern about drunk driving in the area."I’m blown away by it. I do see it quite often, people zooming in and out, in and out," she said. Gerard Pierre of Naples added, "When you see someone in front of you and then you’re just swerving left and right, it’s just like, what’s going on? You can’t stay straight?" Deputies said Ortiz was driving on a suspended license. He is now facing charges of DUI, DUI property damage, and refusal to submit to DUI testing.DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.
