PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. – A man from Palatka is facing multiple charges after fleeing from police, driving while drunk, and possessing a large amount of marijuana and oxycodone, all of which were done while two children, aged 9 and 3, were unrestrained in his vehicle.
According to an arrest report completed by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, Montrell Lewis, 33, was swerving across multiple lanes while driving north on Highway 17 on Tuesday night, around 8:45 p.m.
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As deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Lewis turned onto a dirt road described as “extremely narrow and nearly impassible” and began fleeing from officials, the arrest report states.
As the chase ensued, deputies noted that Lewis’s vehicle was brushing up against dense foliage that caused scrapes to both his vehicle and the pursuing deputy’s vehicle. The chase ended when Lewis’s vehicle became stuck in a pile of trash that was along the dirt roadway.
Deputies said they approached the vehicle and immediately noticed two small children inside. The children were later identified as a 9-year-old, who was in the front seat of the vehicle, and a 3-year-old, who was unrestrained in the back seat.
It was also recorded that the front passenger seat window was down, which deputies believed posed a clear danger to the child who was in the front seat due to dense foliage that Lewis was driving through to evade deputies. “This action left [the child] at risk of serious injury or even death, had one of the branches, bushes, or large tree limbs struck her through the open window,” deputies wrote.
Following the removal of the children from the vehicle, a K9 deputy was used to check for any potential drugs in Lewis’s vehicle, which, upon being searched, revealed over a half-pound of marijuana, over 50 grams of oxycodone pills, a digital scale, and numerous cell phones.
Lewis was taken to the Putnam County Jail and faces the following charges:
- Trafficking in Oxycodone over 7 grams
- Flee / Elude w/ Disregard for safety of persons or property
- Possession of Marijuana with intent to sell
- Maintaining a vehicle known to sell drugs
- Two counts of child neglect
- Driving Under the Influence with a person under 18 years of age.
Deputies said that the arrest report will also be given to the Department of Children and Families for review.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is also expected to release body-camera footage of the arrest, which will be added to this story once it is obtained by News4JAX.