Seminole County start to I-4 hit-and-run spree ends in DUI arrest

A guardrail strike in Seminole County turned into a fast-moving Interstate 4 public-safety scare after the same vehicle kept rolling with a lost front wheel, drew multiple hit-and-run reports, and was later found stuck in sand in DeBary.

The driver was identified as Eric Todd Drewry, 47. By the time Volusia County deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers caught up with him, the case had grown beyond a single crash and into charges that included DUI, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, refusal to submit to DUI testing, resisting an officer, and battery on a law enforcement officer.

Witnesses said the trouble began in Seminole County, where the vehicle struck a guardrail and kept moving even after losing a front wheel. Additional reporting said the vehicle later drove through a construction barricade before becoming stuck in sand at a DeBary construction site, underscoring how far the danger carried across the I-4 corridor before the stop finally came.

The sequence put other drivers, road crews, and first responders at risk on one of Central Florida’s busiest highways. What started as erratic driving in Seminole County quickly became a multi-agency response in Volusia County, with deputies and state troopers responding to multiple hit-and-run reports involving the same vehicle.

Drewry’s encounter with deputies added another layer to the case. In one account, he allegedly responded to questions about the crash by saying, “What crash?” Another report said he allegedly asked to be released in exchange for $2,000 while being transported to the hospital.

The arrest left a clear record of how quickly a reckless drive can escalate on I-4. A damaged vehicle, a string of collisions, and continued driving across county lines turned a roadway incident into a criminal case that now carries DUI, hit-and-run, and law-enforcement assault allegations tied to one stretch of highway that Seminole County commuters use every day.