A Tuesday afternoon traffic incident on the Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys turned volatile after deputies found a driver passed out at the wheel of a running SUV.
The situation unfolded around 3:30 p.m. The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office received reports of an unconscious male in the 6100 block of the highway. When deputies arrived, they discovered a Buick SUV had collided with a parked vehicle.
Despite the crash, the Buick was still in drive with the engine running.
Inside, deputies found 39-year-old Elson Joseph Stuart slumped over. Authorities say an empty vodka bottle was visible inside the vehicle. When Stuart was roused, he appeared incoherent, stumbled, and smelled strongly of alcohol.
The encounter quickly escalated when deputies attempted to detain him.
According to arrest reports, Stuart became combative while being placed in a patrol car. He began slamming his head against the vehicle’s rear divider, sustaining a cut to his head. He was transported to Fishermen’s Hospital for evaluation but reportedly refused to cooperate with medical staff or law enforcement.
The violence continued upon his release from the hospital. Stuart allegedly banged his head against the patrol car again, this time with enough force to damage the rear passenger door frame. While en route to the jail, he attempted to kick deputies and threatened to kill them.
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Officials say his combative behavior persisted even after arriving at the detention facility.
Stuart now faces a litany of charges, including DUI with property damage, battery on a law enforcement officer, assault on a law enforcement officer, and resisting arrest with violence. He was also charged with criminal mischief, resisting arrest without violence, and possession of marijuana.
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