“You didn’t just hit the front of the car. You just took the car completely off.”
Imagine going about your day when, suddenly, you hear a loud crash outside. That’s what happened in Daytona Beach when a Ford Bronco slammed into a car parked in a driveway, pushing it off the pavement and into the grass.
As officers investigated the collision, one Daytona Beach Police Department officer summed up the damage bluntly: “You didn’t just hit the front of the car. You just took the car completely off.”
The collision was captured on video and led to the arrest of 24-year-old Elizabeth Boucher, who police say was driving the Bronco.
What Police Say Happened
Video released by police shows the Bronco crashing into the parked vehicle and pushing it from the driveway into the grass.
When officers questioned Boucher about the collision, she said she had hit the front light of the other car.
The officer investigating the crash appeared to disagree with her description, pointing out that the impact had moved the vehicle completely from where it had been parked.
The exchange happened as officers continued working to establish what had happened and whether Boucher was impaired.
Investigation Takes a Turn
The investigation soon moved beyond the crash damage.
According to the police video, Boucher declined to perform sobriety exercises when officers asked her to participate. She then attempted to walk away while officers were still investigating.
Officers stopped her and placed her in handcuffs.
“Just because you don’t want to talk to us doesn’t mean we’re done with our investigation,” one officer told her.
Boucher later refused a requested DUI test, according to police.
After being taken into custody, Boucher was placed inside a patrol vehicle and transported to the Volusia County Jail.
The arrest record lists charges including DUI, DUI-related property damage, resisting an officer without violence, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription and refusal to submit to DUI testing.
The charges are allegations, not convictions. Boucher is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.