Out of Control Driver Hits 8 Cars and a Tree
Read the incident report here.
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12 thoughts on “Out of Control Driver Hits 8 Cars and a Tree”
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That’s my lady Kari Dangler in the blue baseball cap, early and toward the end of the video, who said she threw her coffee at the driver, trying to stop him. She told me he had his hands on the steering wheel, guiding the car, as came up the sidewalk past her, after ramming, twice, a friend of hers parked car at the curb, and then swerving back onto Southard Street and hitting a car parked across the street, before heading toward Simonton Street.
Kari called me right after it happened, and I called Araud Girard, and told him what Kari had told me. I headed to where Kari was, and Arnaud and Naja came there, too.
A KWPD officer, last name of Hall, came back from Simonton Street, to where Kari had seen the car on the sidewalk beside Southard Street. When I said I hope this man gets charged with the maximum and stays in jail, Officer Hall said he had charged the driver with as many offenses as he could think of, including the most aggravated kind of D.U.I., reckless driving, and leaving the scene. Perhaps six or seven different charges, as I recall, including having “dope” in the car. Officer Hall said people at Mary Beth’s had reported seeing the man steering the car.
I said I hope the man doesn’t get out of jail on bond like the man did who shot 3 people on Duval Street, then the State Attorney did not initially charge that man with attempted murder, which then put Judge Miller in a bind after the man finally was charged with attempted murder. Officer Hall said he writes up the maximum charges, then the State Attorney Office tends to reduce charges to make deals, nothing KWPD can do about it.
I said, I imagine the man and woman in the BMW were having a big fight about something. Officer Hall said, yeah, they might have.
I thanked him for doing his best. Later, I learned the woman had been arrested, too.
I didn’t say at the scene, but I did think it, that KWPD was really businesslike, polite and gentle with the perp. They did not treat him at all like Charles Eimers was treated. If someone should have died in police custody, the world might be a lot better off if it was the man Kari threw her coffee at, trying to stop him on the sidewalk, instead of Charles Eimers.
I know that ain’t the politically correct thing to say, and I know what I’m about to say ain’t the law, but my view is, if you get drunk, and then you get in a car and drive it, right then and there you have committed assault with intent to kill with your car, whether you kill or injure anyone or not.
This is 2 recent cases that I must say looks like decent cops just doing a job. Am sure in most cases they do act proper. But why did this not happen with Mr Eimers ? He surrendered and got on the ground as ordered. Was never any need to use so much force. Remember that 1000 correct actions will never erase 1 bad one.
Yes Key West has far too many drunk drivers. When we visit the car stays parked. We drink but no chance in hell would I drive with so much as 1 beer. Either walk or call a cab. Dam site cheaper than a DUI.
Has Lee perhaps had a long talk to his officers. His job is at risk if KW keeps getting sued. And let’s not forget how he handles drunks at his parties. Tells them to get in a car and leave. Off duty or not a cop should never allowed that to happen. Do we have 2 sets of laws ?
Do you notice that much of our crime here in the Keys originates from Miami.
I’d like to see this guys criminal record!
Do we know how this irresponsible human being can be charged with DUI or something like spice if they refuse to ‘blow’ or submit to a blood or pee test.
I don’t know how our police officers deal with so many of these kinds of losers. I would not want their jobs! But sadly our “leaders” have created a town that celebrates alcohol with bars open 21 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We have enough problems with the alcoholics of Key West and the Keys, the Miami losers (not all Miamians) should stay in Miami to party, steal and commit their other crimes, stay off our US1 and our local streets. Less drunks, less cars, lees parking problems, fewer parking garages!
Island Girl – I recall spending a night in Key West in 1970, after getting drunk with a Portuguese sailor in Sloppy Joes, who was buying rounds for everyone. I was down for the day from my father’s home on Lower Matecumbe Key. Key West back then was known as a wild place, a Navy town, lots of booze. The next morning I caught a cab to the top of the Key. Two hippie looking men up front, long beards and hair. Hanging over the back of the front seat was a metal sign displaying the sizes of bags of marijuana for sale, and the cost per bag. The Strand theater on Duval Street, now the Walgreen’s, ran afternoon matinees of “Deep Throat” for the Navy boys, for a long time. During that time, Key West notables and their offspring were making fortunes running drugs and guns in from mother ships. I spent a few nights at La Concha just before Christmas 1995, attended Midnight Mass Christmas Eve in St. Paul’s Cathedral on Duval Street. There was plenty of action on Duval Street then. Still was when I arrived in Key West, to live here, in late 2000. Bars, strip joints, whore houses, along Duval Street. Can’t blame any of that on Miami. A lot of money is made off of booze, drugs, sex in Key West. Just like was laid bare during the Fantasy Fest discussion this past Wednesday night’s continued city commission meeting from the night before: how much money Fantasy Fest generates for businesses all over the city, and tax revenues for the city, the city’s elected officials aren’t going to tamper those golden gooses. Key West is, has been, will be, a grubby, seedy, raunchy, ribald city; that’s a great deal of its charm and mystique. What’s the difference, really, in what that freak from Miami did on Southard Street, and a native son (Conch) drinking all afternoon with Key West notables, including elected officials, and then driving his car up US 1, and then turning around and driving it the wrong way on US 1 back into town and running head on into an East European woman’s car, and destroying her body and her life? Who’s to say the two freaks in the BMW yesterday were not incited, or at least encouraged, by the chemical-fest that preceded and followed the so-called Cow Key Bridge Run yesterday morning? Cocaine is rampant in the white population in Key West. What needs to happen is this particular BMW booze cocaine freak spends most of the rest of his life in prison, because there is no possible way to know when he will do something like that again. I was there watching yesterday, when a KWPD officer was trying to talk with the freak, get him to do things with his feet. The freak’s affect was that he had done nothing wrong, he was clueless. His girlfriend was trying to cover for him: the steering malfunctioned. What was she even doing with a man like that? Was she blind, deaf and dumb? What did she do that set him off? I hope State Attorney Catherine Vogel doesn’t roll over and play dead on this one.
Sadly if this is his first DUI he will not likely do any time. He will not have a license for a year but likely drive without. He will get fined for what ever sticks. Bottom line is he likely does not have enough insurance to cover 8 cars. Now comes the big question. Is this 8 accidents or 1 involving 8 cars. Could change how insurance pays. Dam sure would not enjoy telling them what he did. Can’t blame the cops as they do not set the fines. As far as Miami goes it is only logical they would visit often.
Yes he needs some jail time but basically this is a man that was so drunk that he had no control of himself. It is a DUI , leaving the seen, reckless driving and maybe a few other charges. Best we can hope for is the cop wrote enough tickets that maybe 1 of them could result in jail.
From the Key West Citizen’s report of the event:
“The [incident] report states Campos admitted to smoking marijuana and using cocaine prior to the incident and refused to give a urine sample. He did provide a breath sample, which indicated his blood alcohol level was about .06, which is below the legal limit of .08.’
I was overcome yesterday with a sense that Campos and/or his BMW was the “victim” of being taken over by supernatural forces who had their own agenda which remains a mystery to me. Yeah, I could have just imagined that, but this entire event is so truly bizarre, that a mere human explanation now is hard for me to grok.
He can still be charged with DUI.
DUI is not limited to alcohol.
From the video and how he was driving his best option is plead guilty to some agreed reduced charges, pay for what ever his insurance does not pay. Yes he will need a dam good lawyer and Miami has plenty of them that beat such cases.
He will not get near the punishment he deserves. Without a blood test the state can not prove much beyond the alcohol. His biggest charge is leaving the seen. This is where a judge can give the max. of each charge and not served at same time. A lot will depend on what other records are in his past.
Adults need to have control of them self and understand the results of doing drugs. The blame is 100% on him. Let’s just be happy no people or kids got hurt.
Now what upsets me is you will see hundreds of cars parked on Duval at night and the owners are in one of the many bars. We all know they will likely be drunk when they leave. Not much the cops can do until they see them swerve or something to have reason to pull them over. Given the low speed of travel even a ,2 could likely go undetected. And if the cops crack down on DUI they run tourists off. I don’t see much changing in the future. Cops can not watch who comes out of a bar and just follow them. Am sure they make plenty of arrest at every fender bender. I see no solution.
His bail was set, he made bond, now we can sleep better.
The demon, which took control of him and his BMW, can sleep better, too.
You can sleep better if he is back in Miami.
My comment about we can sleep better was a joke, my comments about the demons were dead serious; a demon took Campos over, and then made it easy for him to get out of jail. That demon loves Key West, did not leave with Campos.
Must be some fine weed in KW. LOL