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Driver Charged With DUI After Wild Wreck Cuts Power To 300
October 21, 2009
A Cantonment man is facing several charges after an early morning accident near the Cottage Hill community left nearly 300 customers without power.
Joseph Paul Mathis, 28, of Cantonment, was charged with DUI with personal injury, DUI with property damage and careless driving after the 3:38 a.m. accident at McKenzie Road and Eastman Lane.
The Florida Highway Patrol says Mathis was westbound on McKenzie Road when he accelerated rapidly, lost control and fishtailed, leaving over 300 feet of acceleration and skid marks. He then hit about 90 feet of chain link fence at a home in the 2100 block of Eastman Lane while his 1997 Ford Crown Victoria was rotating clockwise. His car then struck and broke a utility pole, and continued another 45 feet across Eastman Lane were he hit the railroad crossing signal on the east side of the railroad tracks. After the Crown Vic came to a stop, it caught fire.
Mathis and his passenger, John W. Casey, 29, of Cantonment, exited the vehicle with only minor injuries, according to the FHP.
The power outage caused by the downed pole left 289 Gulf Power customers without power, some as long as eight hours.
Mathis was released from Escambia County Jail Wednesday on $2,500 bond.
Comments
13 Responses to “Driver Charged With DUI After Wild Wreck Cuts Power To 300”
Forest Gump’s momma said stupid is as stupid does! STUPID!!!! yep and that’s about right! When I was young I did a lot of stupid and dangerous things too! Like this old boy I drove and drank like a wild man, at the time I thought it was all good and I was super man, nothing could go wrong and then the Good Lord took me thur a series of events to get my attention, And I finally awoke from my stupor of stupid and let the Lord change my life! I haven’t drank or drugged for 17 years! I thank God that I did not kill any one back in those days! I had friends that weren’t as lucky, they didn’t make it ! Hopefully this old boy will hear the good Lord knocking on his door saying ; OK I let you and your buddy live , It’s time for a change grow up and be a dad to your children, a husband to your wife, and honor God in your marriage, and give him thanks for your second chance! I Did and still do! I’m praying for you and your family!
Yellar hammer–the car was not drunk. The car could have been any crown vic from any dealer. A drunken fool is still a fool. Both of the people in the car were lucky to walk away from the wreck.
Drove by there today. Still a mangled mess of debris including the front bumper of the vehicle. Isn’t this just down the road from the cross-over where the guy was racing to get over the tracks ahead of the train and lost his life a few month ago? I did notice, however, that the section of chain link fence was more like 30feet instead of 90feet…if that matters. It’s probably fortunate that the RR crossing signal stopped him. Had he propelled over the tracks, he would have been on 95A which is pretty well traveled with early morning and shift workers.
Speeders racing up and down McKenzie and Williams Ditch Rd is the reason some sections have speed bumps.(The residents have to petition for them).
This street needs to watched! Cars are constantly flying by even the parts with the speed bump that does’nt slow them down at all. I worry all the time that a child is going to get hit!!!!
These guys are 28 and 29 years old and the one has a wife and kids? WOW! What a shame not to be home with your family. Grow up already! I pass that intersection every morning . So thankful nobody was hurt. Only a loss of food and sleep!!!
Joey as his friends know him is a hard worker, good father and overall good man WHEN he is not drinking. But like many folks, when he gets a few drinks in him, his whole demeanor changes. I hope he gets the help he needs to get his life straightened out for the sake of his children and wife. Hopefully this will be the wake up call he needs, but something tells me it won’t be.
This is why the old police cars should be destroyed because these people think they are like officers and act like fools. Some of these people even stalk you with these cars.
glad it wasnt later kids stand out there for the bus
people like this is why good people get kill
Guess he did not have a JOB to worry about
I hope he can replace some of the food we lost. our daughter went into the fridge this morning, the food got to room temp. for hours. and, I walked up to the corner of eastman and mckenzie. If a car had been sitting there, or worse, later in the morning the kids wouldve been there at their bus stop, he would’ve murdered several people. nothing comical about it…he hit the pole so hard, that only the lower half went. the top half, with 4 transformers, and live wires remained hot until gulf power arrive. the wires were only several feet off the ground, waiting for someone to come along.
If he hit all of that,how fast was he going?Just CRAZY!!!!
It’s almost comical when you picture it in your mind. What do you want to bet he told the trooper he didn’t do it?
Good thing it was 3 a.m. or he would have killed somebody.