MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A drunken man confused a Miami Beach boardwalk for a road, and he drove a blue 2021 Toyota Corolla into the water of Government Cut, a channel between South Beach and Fisher Island, according to police.
It was about 7 a.m., on Sunday. Andres Asion, a real estate broker, said he heard a loud noise and saw the car in the water from his high-rise apartment in the South of Fifth area.
As citizen journalists often do, Asion rushed to South Pointe Park and started filming.
“This guy is drunk, just came from a bar, thought that that was the road,” Asion said.
Asion’s video shows two women at South Pointe Park telling Miami Beach police officers that they saw the driver was speeding and headed right into the water. Miami Beach police officers later identified the driver as Yandeivy Chavez Dominguez, who lives in Miami’s Flagami neighborhood.
Chavez, 22, managed to swim out of the car. His clothes were wet and he was barefoot. Divers responded to search for others in the water, but they didn’t find anyone because Chavez was alone when he crashed the 2021 Toyota Corolla.
Police officers reported Chavez admitted to drinking alcohol, his breath smelled like alcohol, had bloodshot watery eyes and slurred speech, and he failed the sobriety test.
Police officers arrested Chavez after fire rescue personnel and staff at the Mount Sinai Medical Center determined he wasn’t injured, according to the arrest report.
Miami-Dade correctional officers booked him at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center. Records show he is facing a charge of driving under the influence.
A tow truck driver with Beach Towing later responded and removed the Toyota Corolla from the water.
Local 10 News Assignment Desk Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.
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