A Florida deputy was met with an explanation that viewers will probably remember long after the traffic stop was over.
Newly released body camera footage shows a 23-year-old driver repeatedly insisting that the extensive front-end damage to her vehicle “was already like that” after a deputy pointed out the missing bumper during a DUI investigation.
According to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the stop came after multiple 911 reports of a reckless driver who nearly caused a head-on collision before crashing into several pieces of property.
Deputies say no one was injured before they located the damaged vehicle in Bunnell.
Bodycam Shows Driver Insisting the Missing Bumper “Was Already Like That”
The incident began around 2:30 a.m. when a concerned motorist called 911 after a vehicle nearly struck them head-on.
Rather than simply reporting the incident, the caller continued following the vehicle while providing dispatchers with updates. Deputies say the vehicle repeatedly left the roadway, striking a culvert, a fence, and a mailbox before they located it on Elder Street.
When a deputy found the vehicle, it was attempting to turn around in a driveway and had obvious front-end damage. As the deputy approached, Chacon reversed into a nearby ditch before finally stopping.
The body camera footage captures one of the arrest’s most memorable exchanges.
As a deputy looks over the vehicle’s heavily damaged front end and asks about the missing bumper, Chacon repeatedly insists the damage wasn’t from that night.
“It was already like that before,” she says multiple times before adding, “I’m not lying. I swear to God.”
Moments later, the deputy points out that the vehicle appears to be leaking fluid as Chacon continues insisting the damage had already been there.
The deputy never argues with her explanation, instead allowing the condition of the vehicle to speak for itself.elf.
Deputies Say She Failed DUI Tests
Deputies identified the driver as 23-year-old Perla Esmfralda Chacon of Palm Coast.
She told deputies she was driving from a bowling alley in Palm Coast to a friend’s house. During the investigation, the deputy noted Chacon had glassy, watery eyes, slurred speech, a strong odor of alcohol, and clothing that appeared to be stained with vomit.
After conducting field sobriety exercises, deputies determined Chacon was impaired and placed her under arrest. Breath samples later measured her blood alcohol content at 0.172 and 0.167, more than twice Florida’s legal limit of 0.08.
Multiple DUI and Hit-and-Run Charges
Sheriff Rick Staly said Chacon was fortunate that the incident ended with damaged property rather than injured people.
“This woman clearly should not have been driving and was almost three times the legal limit in Florida,” Staly said. “She’s lucky the only things she hit was a fence and a mailbox and that nobody was hurt. If you’re drinking, it is dangerous and irresponsible to drive. Have a designated driver, call for a ride home. If you get behind the wheel of a car impaired, you will see some new bars at the Green Roof Inn.”
Flagler County jail records show Chacon was booked at 5:24 a.m. on June 20 and released later that morning after posting seven separate cash or surety bonds totaling $4,450.
Jail records show she was charged with one count of DUI, three counts of DUI causing property damage, and three counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage.
While the “It was already like that” exchange may stand out in the bodycam footage, deputies say the situation was far more serious. Authorities say Chacon had already nearly caused a head-on collision before she was stopped, and they credited the 911 caller’s detailed updates with helping deputies quickly locate the vehicle before anyone was seriously hurt.
Chacon is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.