A 20-year-old man thanked Florida Highway Patrol troopers Wednesday for "keeping people like me off the street" after he ran a roadblock and crashed into a helicopter at the scene of a serious crash, trooperssaid.
A vehicle driven by Cameron Brian Sunderly of Clermont swerved through emergency vehicles that were set up as a roadblock at 1:41 a.m. Wednesday and smashed into the tail rotor of a helicopter, investigators said.
Troopers were already at the scene attending to a pedestrian who they said had been hit by a Jeep on the highway.
FHP officials said they're investigating where Sunderly, who is underage, was illegally served alcohol.
"He's facing some serious charges when he goes before a judge to explain why he had been drinking to begin with and (why) the level was so high," FHP Sgt. Kim Montes said.
When additional troopers arrived, they found a man close to tears, pacing back and forth near the crash scene, an FHP incident report said.
The man, identified only as Chris, told the trooper that his friend hit the helicopter as they were driving home from a restaurant. Montes said Sunderly was lucky not to hit any first responders, police officers or the person waiting for emergency care.
"People are constantly trying to go around those barricades to get through, and they don't realize it's shut down for a reason," Montes said. "It's for the protection of the investigators and for lifesaving response for any victims.
"This driver, being impaired, could have injured or killed a lot more people inside this closed scene because those people are in there working, not expecting a car to come through there."
Video: Helicopter damaged in crash with car
Sunderly was still inside the vehicle when a trooper approached him and asked if he wasn injured.
"I could immediately detect the obvious odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath as he spoke," the trooper said in the report.
Sunderly was incoherent and the trooper had to ask several times and explain in detail what a field sobriety test was before he agreed to do it, the report said.
Sunderly told troopers, "I really appreciate you keeping people like me off the street," according to the report.
As part of standard questioning, the trooper asked if Sunderly wore glasses or contacts.
When Sunderly said he wore contacts, the trooper asked if they changed the color of his eyes.
"No, blue all day, baby," Sunderly replied, according to the report.
Sunderly was arrested and charged with driving under the influence, refusal to obey a police officer and reckless driving.
Officials said his blood-alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit.
He bonded out of jail Wednesday afternoon, but did not respond to WFTV's questions.
Dash camera video of the incident is expected to be released Thursday.
The pedestrian who was injured in the initial crash was taken to the hospital by other means.
The person, who was not identified, was listed in critical condition.
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