BREVARD COUNTY — A retired Indian River County sheriff’s captain was jailed Tuesday after police said he failed to stop after crashing a take home police vehicle into the back of another vehicle in Palm Bay. Patrick White, who served 26 years as a deputy, had a blood alcohol level more than four times the legal driving limit, reports show.
White, who was recently hired as a police sergeant for the Melbourne International Airport Police Department, was off duty when he drove the agency’s 2017 Ford Explorer Interceptor and rear ended the other vehicle, reports show. White has since been fired, according to Melissa Naughton, assistant director of business development and marketing for the airport.
“Since (White) was an employee for under three weeks, he was in probationary status. His employment is terminated,” Naughton said Wednesday. “He had unauthorized use of his take home (sports utility vehicle).”
A viral 17-second video posted to Facebook appeared to capture White driving from the wreck as witnesses tried to stop him. It was not immediately clear if the other driver was seriously hurt.
“The caller and two witnesses approached the defendant and videoed him driving as they told him to stop and it would be a hit-and-run,” a Palm Bay police officer said in an arrest report. “The defendant was captured on camera ignoring them and driving away. The video captures both his face and the vehicle’s plate.”
White, 48, was charged with driving under the influence, driving under the influence with property damage and leaving the scene of a crash with property damage without giving information, police reports show. White was released Wednesday morning from the Brevard County Jail, according to jail officials.
White’s bail information was not available.
The incident unfolded Tuesday afternoon at Babcock Street and Blaine Street in Palm Bay. A driver called 911, telling dispatchers that an SUV rear ended her and then drove off.
The woman said she saw the SUV swerving behind her, nearly hitting another vehicle, before the driver slammed into the right rear of her vehicle, reports show.
The caller was able to obtain the SUV’s license plate. Palm Bay police spoke with the woman and two witnesses, who all said the person driving the SUV was intoxicated, reports show.
Officers identified the driver, White, and learned the SUV belonged to the Melbourne International Airport Police Department. A police sergeant found the vehicle two hours later in a parking lot on Babcock Street.
Police initiated a traffic stop when White pulled out of the parking lot, reports show. Officers said White stumbled out of the SUV, had a strong odor of alcohol, blood shoot eyes and slurred speech.
White had on the same shirt he wore that was seen in the viral video, police said. White admitted to officers that he was drunk and recalled being in a crash, reports show.
White was arrested and booked into the Brevard County Jail. White was also issued two traffic citations for driving under the influence and rear ending another vehicle while driving under the influence causing property damage, court records show.
Details on White’s arraignment were not immediately available.
