St. Augustine man faces DUI, battery charges after Seminole County hit-and-runs

A St. Augustine man is facing DUI, battery and hit-and-run charges after deputies said he turned eastbound Interstate 4 into a rolling hazard in Seminole County, then escalated the arrest by kicking a deputy and offering $2,000 for release. Eric Drewry, 47, was identified after Florida Highway Patrol troopers began getting multiple reports of a hit-and-run crash around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday near mile marker 105.

Witnesses said the pickup hit a guardrail, lost its front left wheel and kept moving. From there, the truck exited I-4, pushed through a construction barricade and became stuck in sand near a large retention pond off South Shell Road in DeBary. Witnesses also reported reckless maneuvers, including “donuts,” before the truck finally stopped.

Deputies with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office said Drewry appeared to be under the influence. They reported bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and an inability to recall basic details of what had happened. When asked about the crash, Drewry allegedly replied, “What crash?” The sheriff’s office said a witness also submitted video showing the truck driving without a front tire, and the agency released body camera footage tied to the arrest.

The arrest itself quickly became another part of the case. Deputies said Drewry kicked a deputy while being escorted into the back of a patrol vehicle and repeatedly asked to be released in exchange for $2,000. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office charged him with resisting law enforcement and battery on a law enforcement officer, while the Florida Highway Patrol filed charges for DUI, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage and refusal to submit to DUI testing.

The sequence of events showed how quickly a single impaired driver can create danger across one of Central Florida’s most heavily traveled corridors. I-4 carries fast-moving traffic through Seminole and Volusia counties, and in this case the reported hit-and-runs, the missing wheel, the construction barricade and the off-road stop near South Shell Road all put other motorists at risk long before the arrest ended.