Fleeing DUI suspect pulled from water

 

A 31-year-old Marathon man was arrested early Sunday after crashing a pickup truck and jumping into the ocean in an attempt to flee from law enforcement.

Nicholas James Tralka was charged with hit-and-run, fleeing and eluding, DUI, DUI with property damage and resisting arrest.

Middle Keys Deputy Corbin Hradecky was on patrol at 3:52 a.m. when he saw a pickup truck exit a bar parking lot near 105th Street and U.S. 1 in Marathon at a high rate of speed. The pickup truck struck the concrete median separating the north and southbound lanes of U.S. 1. Deputy Hradecky attempted to make a traffic stop. The truck initially appeared to be stopping before taking off at a high rate of speed, northbound. The pickup truck was swerving erratically between both northbound lanes. The driver, later identified as Tralka, nearly lost control of the pickup truck while traveling in excess of 100 mph. Deputy Hradecky kept a visual on the truck and radioed Deputies Shaun Lones and Darrel Walraven to prepare tire spikes.

The pickup truck ran over tire spikes near Mile Marker 60.5. The pickup truck continued northbound before crashing into a light post, a palm tree and the Duck Key entrance sign. Tralka, the sole occupant of the pickup truck, ran away from the crash, jumped over a seawall and into the water. Deputies ordered Tralka to stop. Tralka did not stop. Tralka began swimming south toward Toms Harbor Channel Bridge. A good Samaritan told Deputy Hradecky that a man was hiding underneath the bridge and holding onto a piling. Key Colony Beach Police and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission arrived on scene.

Tralka stated he was giving up. Key Colony Beach Police threw Tralka a rope from a FWC boat. Tralka was pulled aboard the FWC boat by Key Colony Beach Police and detained. Tralka was taken to Duck Key Marina. Tralka told Deputy Hradecky that he had been drinking and got scared.

Deputy Edward Swogger searched the truck and found three empty 100-ml Fireball© whiskey bottles and one full bottle inside the vehicle.

Tralka was taken to jail where his blood-alcohol level was recorded at .214. The legal limit in Florida is .08.

 

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