Port Charlotte man accused of driving away from traffic stop before crashing into pole

A Port Charlotte man is accused of driving away from a traffic stop and crashing into a pole, according to the Charlotte County Sheriff's Office.

On Friday, deputies say they were conducting traffic enforcement when they saw a car traveling at 63 mph in a posted 45 mph zone. When deputies activated their lights to initiate a traffic stop, the car came to a stop near a shopping plaza.

According to an arrest report, when deputies made contact with the driver, Robert Edwards, 38, he was immediately combative. CCSO says that they could hear Edwards yelling from his car, and later saw him sticking his head out of his car window and screaming.

When asked to roll down his passenger window, Edwards reportedly refused to. A Deputy also said that Edwards shined a flashlight in their face after complaining about them shining a flashlight on his face.

When deputies tried to pull Edwards out of the car, he drove away while closing his driver's side door, the report says. It adds that he drove through the parking lot before he lost control and crashed into a concrete pole.

Edwards was arrested after the crash and faces charges of fleeing or attempting to elude and resisting an officer without violence.