Edgewater, FL – A Edgewater man is out on $2,000 bond after police charge him in an accident that briefly put parts of the city in the dark Tuesday afternoon.
Jose A. Deza was booked at Volusia County Jail on charges of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of a crash after he drove a red Chevrolet car into a power pole near the intersection of US 1 and State Road 442 around 3:30 PM Tuesday, according to the Edgewater Police Department.
Officers were first called to the accident scene near G & W Roofing on West Marion Avenue after a witness called 911 to report that a driver involved in an accident took off heading west on West Marion.
An Edgewater fire department official spotted a car matching that description a few minutes later stopped on 19th Street and Guava Drive with a white man standing next to the driver’s side door, according to the arrest report.
EPD says that man – identified as Deza – admitted to being the driver and that the accident happened after a cat ran into the road, causing him to swerve out of the way.
The accident report noted that Deza had “glassy” eyes and trouble maintaining his balance.
Deza denied drinking alcohol before getting behind the wheel but did say he had taken some medication around 6 hours earlier. What that medication is was redacted from the report by EPD.
The 26-year-old man refused to take a breath or urine test after failing field sobriety exercises, per the report.
VCJ records show Deza’s been booked there 9 other times since April 2010 on a slew of charges, including burglary, battery, obstruction, disorderly intoxication, marijuana possession under 20 grams, grand theft auto, loitering/prowling and drug paraphernalia possession.
Over 1,800 customers in the area lost power briefly as a result of the accident, according to Florida Power & Light. Service has since been restored.
Jose A. Deza (mugshot courtesy VCJ)
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