No one was seriously injured after a Milton man wrecked his car – twice in just a few minutes, ending up in a bunch of trees, according to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP).
Charles Ryan Nielsen, 24, 6746 Gauren Trace Ct., was arrested and charged with DUI and hit and run after the crashes Saturday.
FHP reports say Nielsen rear-ended a vehicle on Highway 89 near Arlingwood Drive. Nielsen was not wearing a seatbelt in his 2001 Toyota Tacoma when he hit the 1999 GMC Sierra loaded with four people, reports indicate.
There was approximately $2,000 worth of damage to his truck and an estimated $500 worth of damage to the GMC. No one was injured in the collision, which happened around just before 11 p.m.
Reports say Nielsen fled the scene of the accident and continued northbound on Highway 89.
FHP found his vehicle minutes later on Highway 89 near Point Baker. Troopers say he was involved in a single vehicle accident, with his truck in a patch of trees. It was determined he had driven onto the shoulder, began accelerating and completely crossed the road.
Nielsen was booked into the Santa Rosa County jail. FHP charged him with two counts of DUI, one count of hit and run and he was also cited for two counts of careless driving. He refused a breath sample at the jail.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: FHP: DUI driver crashes, flees, crashes