Cops: Drunk teen hits, totals animal services van on I-75

NORTH PORT, Fla. (WFLA) – Deputies said an unlicensed teen crashed into a Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office animal services van and ran away.

Deputies got a call at 10 p.m. Thursday about a rollover crash in the northbound lanes of Interstate 75 near mile marker 186.

Deputies said 18-year-old Roberto Garcia, of Immokalee, had struck the van and fled the scene on foot.  The vehicle was totaled and the animal services officer was hospitalized for non-life-threatening injuries.

Multiple agencies, including the North Port Police Department’s K-9 unit, were called to the scene to find the teen.

Investigators said Garcia showed signs of impairment.  They also found an empty beer bottle in the front passenger.

Garcia was charged with Driving Under the Influence with Damage to Property, Driving Under the Influence with Personal Injury, two counts of Hit and Run, and Driving without a Valid License.

He is currently being held at the Sarasota County Jail on $500 bond.