A 24-year-old man on parole is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly drove into the back of another vehicle on Interstate 4, flipped his car multiple times, and fled from the scene by foot.
Antonio Cole, of Winter Haven, was arrested on Friday, July 14, by Osceola County Sheriff’s deputies in connection with a hit-and-run crash that took place earlier that morning.
According to a report by the Florida Highway Patrol, Cole was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu westbound on I-4 at around 4:45 a.m. Cole failed to observe a 2014 Ford Escape ahead of him and, as a result, rear-ended the vehicle.
After the collision, Cole’s vehicle flipped several times onto the right shoulder of the roadway, colliding with a fence. The Malibu eventually came to rest on its roof.
The driver of the Escape, a 42-year-old man from Lake Wales, remained on the scene before self-transporting himself to a local hospital with minor injuries.
When Cole’s vehicle came to a rest, he exited and fled the scene on foot.
Osceola County Sheriff’s Office dispatched its helicopter and eventually located Cole.
Cole now faces charges of driving under the influence with property damage, leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, and violating probation. He was booked into the Osceola County jail.