Walnut Hill Man Charged With DUI In Connection With Wrong-Way Highway 97 Crash

November 30, 2022

A Walnut Hill man has been charged in connection with a wrong way crash Monday night.

James Harold Green, 66, was charged by the Florida Highway Patrol with DUI with property damage, reckless driving with property damage, and smuggling a controlled substance into the county jail, according to jail records. He was released on a $5,000 bond.

Witnesses said Green’s pickup truck was traveling in the wrong lane of Highway 97 near Wiggins Lake Road, just north of Walnut Hill Fire Station, about 6:47 p.m..

An oncoming driver reportedly swerved out of the way to avoid a head-on collision, and his pickup truck struck a guardrail. The driver was not injured.

The wrong-way pickup truck came to rest about 1,000 feet away in a ditch hitting a guardrail and a mailbox. Green was transported by Escambia County EMS to Jay Hospital for treatment and taken into custody by troopers. While he was being booked into the Escambia County Jail, a felony amount of narcotics was discovered, according to FHP.

The Florida Highway Patrol investigated the crash. The Walnut Hill and McDavid stations of Escambia County Fire Rescue and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office also responded.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

6 Responses to “Walnut Hill Man Charged With DUI In Connection With Wrong-Way Highway 97 Crash”

  1. Mike Fountain on December 1st, 2022 11:42 pm

    He’s a good guy. Everyone make mistakes

  2. StraightShooter on November 30th, 2022 9:03 pm

    $5,000.00 bail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You got to be kidding me. Got to love our system.

  3. DB on November 30th, 2022 8:24 pm

    @jiff…yep, out again and probably again and again and blah,blah,blah until he kills someone or worse, more than one, then he will get a little time with a little slap on the wrist, a few meals, a toilet, sink, bed and maybe, just maybe a few new “friends” like, uhhh, Bubba, and be out in a couple of years to do it all over again!

  4. Jiff on November 30th, 2022 12:10 pm

    So; he’s out of jail and free to get into another truck, drink too much, and take someone else out on the highway?

  5. Bill T on November 30th, 2022 10:33 am

    I guessed close to what the problem may be !!! Substance abuse alcohol !!! Apparently this guy could care less about other peoples lives!!! Lock him up for a good while then he will start to respect other drivers rights!!!!

  6. C on November 30th, 2022 7:21 am

    I’m glad to hear he’s been arrested, I’ve almost been hit twice in the past year head on by another car.

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