Fatal Motorcycle Crash, Motorist Ignores Traffic Control and Strikes Patrol Vehicle; Proactive Patrol Leads to DUI Arrest of Woman Celebrating Slot Machine Winnings
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies made 9 arrests this past weekend between 6 p.m. on Friday, July 12, 2024, and 6 a.m. on Monday, July 15, 2024. They handled 722 calls for service and made 267 traffic stops.
Fatal Motorcycle Crash on I-95, Motorist Ignores Traffic Control and Strikes Patrol Vehicle
On July 13, shortly after 11:40 p.m., Deputies responded to a call from a motorist on I-95 who reported that their vehicle had been struck by a motorcycle and that they could not find where it had stopped. Deputies located the sportbike and eventually located the rider lying on the median near the guardrail. The Palm Coast Fire Department pronounced the rider deceased, and the Florida Highway Patrol was notified.
All northbound traffic needed to be diverted for an extended period. Deputies had their marked agency vehicles positioned across northbound lanes of I-95 to divert traffic off I-95 onto SR 100 with their emergency lights activated and traffic cones in place.
However, a red Toyota pickup failed to obey the traffic control efforts. After it went around exiting traffic to continue northbound, the driver traveled between two patrol vehicles and struck one of the FCSO patrol vehicles on the front end. The driver was not impaired but was cited for Careless Driving and Expired Registration.
“This is why it’s important to be patient, slow down, and pay attention,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Thankfully, the patrol vehicles were not occupied at the time of the collision, and no Deputy Sheriff was hurt because of the actions of an idiot driver who wasn’t paying attention and was determined to go where he wanted to go without regard to anyone else.”
View the dashcam here: https://bit.ly/3xXZCw8
Proactive Patrol Leads to DUI Arrest of Woman Celebrating Slot Machine Winnings
Shortly after 3 a.m. on July 13, Deputy Rexford was traveling behind a red Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck traveling southbound on US 1. Deputy Rexford conducted a traffic stop after observing the vehicle’s erratic driving pattern which included bouncing off lane markers, drifting into lanes, and weaving out of lanes without using turn signals.
After stopping the driver, identified as Maureen Leanne Noble, 61, of Palm Coast, deputies noticed a strong odor of alcohol coming from inside the vehicle and noted that she had bloodshot, watery eyes. She was unable to find her vehicle registration. Apologetic, Noble said she never does this and had just left a bar in Bunnell, where she had two glasses of wine and a tequila shot to celebrate her slot machine winnings.
After conducting Standardized Field Sobriety Exercises (SFSE), Noble was arrested for operating a motor vehicle under the influence and transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. While there, Noble refused to complete a breath test. She later posted a $1000 bond and was released.
“Thanks to our Deputies’ efforts for getting this woman off our roads and into the Green Roof Inn before she could hurt someone,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “Because of her bad decisions, she ended up celebrating her slot machine winnings by visiting the Green Roof Inn and spending her winnings on bail.”
