VERO BEACH —A Vero Beach teen driver was arrested on Monday after authorities say he sped over the 17th Street bridge, crashed into a fence and then tried to flee by diving into into the ocean.
Elijah Brennan, 19, of the 500 block of 21st Avenue in Vero Beach, now faces charges that include misdemeanor leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and reckless driving.
Police said the incident occurred Monday afternoon at a time of “heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic.”
One witness told police Brennan, in a red Camaro, sped passed him on the bridge and cut him off, nearly running him off the road. He said the car was going so fast it went “airborne” at the top of the bridge.
The same witness said he followed Brennan and observed him pass traffic in the intersection of A1A and 17th Street and again at the stop sign near the entrance of South Beach Park. Finally, the witness observed the car after it had crashed into a fence and saw Brennan fleeing on foot toward the beach, according to the report.
A second witness reported Brennan passed him at the stop sign in the intersection of 17th Street/East Causeway Boulevard and Ocean Drive going at “a high rate of speed.” He added the Camaro missed his vehicle by “inches.”
Police discovered the Camaro still running and in contact with the fence when they arrived on scene. They found Brennan swimming in the ocean nearby. Brennan’s wallet and driver’s license were located inside the crashed vehicle according to the report.
Both witnesses positively identified Brennan as the Camaro driver.
Brennan was released from the Indian River County Jail on $500 bond.