On Sunday, a man was arrested in Sebastian on a charge of DUI and property damage after submerging his entire Jeep in the river at the Main Street boat ramp.
Sebastian Police Department received a call on Sunday at approximately 6:00 p.m. about a Jeep that went into the water while trying to pick up jet ski.
“I observed damage caused to a large, metal trash can that is bolted to the cement. The trash can was struck so hard it caused the slab to separate from the sidewalk. The vehicle and trailer that had a jet ski on it also struck and damaged a metal sign and another trash can before entering the water,” the officer said.
Police said the driver, later identified as 31-year-old David Wayne Bowman of Sebastian, continued backing the trailer into the water but failed to stop before the Jeep became submerged.
“Bowman was saturated from the waist down from being in the water, further indicating his involvement. During the crash investigation, Bowman’s wife and their friend stated they were pulling up in a different vehicle as Bowman was backing the jet ski and trailer into the water. They stated Bowman was driving when the incident occurred. Bowman even stated to other officers that he had been driving at the time of the incident,” the officer said.
After completing some field sobriety exercises to determine if he was intoxicated, police arrested Bowman for DUI. Breath samples indicated .188 and .193 as the level of alcohol indicated on his breath at that time.
Public Works for the City of Sebastian was on scene and indicated that the damage caused by Bowman was estimated at $3,200.
