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FHP: Century Man Flips Car, Flees Ambulance, Drives Home, Arrested For DUI
June 16, 2025
A Century man fled a DUI crash and drove home, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
Willie Eugene Cottrell, 67, was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.
Cottrell veered off the road, overturned his Nissan Versa, and hit a wire fence on Highway 4A near Bass Road, according to troopers. The vehicle made at least one rotation before coming to final rest back on its tires. Cottrell then called 911, and Escambia County Fire Rescue and Escambia County EMS responded.
He became verbally abusive to EMS personnel in the back of the ambulance and fled through the rear doors, according to an arrest report, before getting back in his Nissan and driving home about 1.5 miles to his residence on Backwoods Road.
A trooper responded to his residence, noting he smelled strongly of alcohol and was slurring his words. He refused a field sobriety test, but the trooper said his impairment from alcohol “was extreme and obvious” and placed him under arrest. Cottrell later provided two breath samples, both showing a breath alcohol content of 0.164, over twice the legal limit of 0.08, according to the arrest report.
Comments
6 Responses to “FHP: Century Man Flips Car, Flees Ambulance, Drives Home, Arrested For DUI”
Am I the only one impressed that the Nissan Versa was able to do a barrel roll and keep on running? If that isn’t quality, I don’t know what is.
Alcohol, if used properly prevents infection and save lives.
Just wondering…
Should he have been charged with 2 counts of DUI?
More proof drinking alcohol does more than ruin your looks, it causes internal damage including brain degeneration. It also kills people while you’re ignorant enough to drive. God bless our First Responders who save lives every day.
That’s 2 tough ones right there.
Mr. Cottrell and his Nissan Versa.
Not Guilty !