Sheriff on deputy interaction before deadly Pensacola crash: 'Did not detect any alcohol'

Описание: ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. -- Sheriff Chip Simmons is commenting for the first time on the deadly Pensacola Scenic Highway DUI crash that followed an interaction with Escambia County deputies and EMS.

60-year-old Wayne Dines of Spring Hill, Florida, is facing DUI manslaughter charges for the late January crash that killed two people. Police say Dines had a significant amount of drugs in his system.

The crash happened about 20 minutes after Escambia County deputies cleared him after responding to reports he was unconscious in his jeep at N W Street and Mobile Highway.

While the sheriff's office put out a statement last week, Sheriff Simmons spoke publicly about the case for the first time Wednesday morning with Pensacola News Radio's Andrew McKay.

The sheriff says the deputies on scene did not detect what they felt to be impairment.

"The only thing I'll say about this is that, aside from the family, no one bears the weight of these discretionary decisions more than a law enforcement officer," Sheriff Simmons said. "We make hundreds of decisions like this every day."

"We've done cases where we had to walk away because we didn't feel like we had enough -- and the ties go to the runner in the United States," he added. "If you don't have probable cause to make an arrest then you don't make an arrest."

Pensacola Police say Dines had ingested a significant amount of Xanax and tramadol before the crash.

In bodycam video released by the sheriff's office last week, one deputy tells another that Dines was slurring his speech:

"He’s talking funny, but I don’t know if he just talks funny. He's kind of an old guy. You know what I mean?"

The sheriff also responded Wednesday morning to questions in the report that state a deputy followed Dines for seven blocks after releasing him.

"It wasn't following you to see if you're impaired, it was we're both going in the same direction," Sheriff Simmons said.

"Bottom line is our detectives did not detect any alcohol," he added. "She makes a comment about an unusual speech pattern, she acknowledges he speaks different, that's where we are."

Sheriff Simmons did say the department is asking its own questions internally.

"How much did they hear? How much was relayed to the deputy on the scene? All of those are under review on our agency," he said. "We're asking Pensacola Police Department for copies of some of the bodycams that they have."

Pensacola Police tells WEAR News that additional bodycam footage is being processed in the case. The department adds that upon release, much of the footage will be blurred due to the graphic nature of the crash.

Sheriff Simmons was out of the office Wednesday following his radio interview and not available to go on-camera.

#news #florida #crash
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