An off-duty Bonita Springs firefighter who was on medical leave for a non-work-related hand injury was arrested last week after an automobile crash in the Fort Myers, Florida area. Charged with a first offense of Florida DUI for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, 27-year-old Christopher Michael McDaniel caused property damage and was found in possession of a controlled substance without a prescription.
After a $3,250 bond, McDaniel was released the following day from Lee County Jail. According to a Fort Myers Police Department report, officers arrived at the scene of a crash around 10 am. The incident occurred at Mathew Drive and Summerlin, and involved a Ford F-250 as well a Jeep Cherokee. The Ford hit the rear of the Jeep, which was stopped at the time of impact. There were no injuries reported by any passengers of the vehicles.
During investigations of the crash, officers noticed McDaniel, who drove the Ford, had slurred speech and a constant sway while standing. Though the breath test results came up negative, McDaniel did not pass the field sobriety exercises. After his arrest, officers found a clear, unmarked bottle in McDaniel's pocket, which contained 15 blue pills.
McDaniel admitted the pills were not prescribed to him, and tests later confirmed the pills to be amphetamines, Benzo and Oxycodene. McDaniel has been employed by the Bonita Springs Fire/Rescue district for four years, working as an inspector. About a year and a half ago he became a firefighter. His employment status is unconfirmed currently, because he is currently on medical leave for an injury. When the accident occurred, he was en route to a pre-operation appointment to find out if surgery was a necessary route.
Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer Carlos Canet, P.A. is experienced in Florida DUI defense. If you have been charged with DUI in south Florida and need DUI arrest advice, call 866-7ASKDUI to speak to an experienced DUI lawyer with offices in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach Counties.
