A Key Largo man was arrested Wednesday night after he stole a neighbor’s car, drove it while drinking alcohol and then crashed it into rocks and a utility pole at Bahama Avenue and Ocean Drive in Key Largo.
Deputy Vaughn O’Keefe responded to that location at 7:40 p.m. after witnesses called to report the incident. When he arrived, several people were on hand to tell him what happened. One man said he was following the blue Jaguar northbound on U.S. One when it turned rapidly off the highway onto East Drive. The Jaguar, driven by 34 year old Timothy Gorman, continued driving recklessly until it crashed into a utility pole and several large rocks. The witnesses said they saw the driver, Gorman, get out of the vehicle. They said he drank from a can of Budweiser Lime-a-Rita, then dumped the remainder of the liquid in a grassy area. Gorman then took off his shirt and walked away.
When Deputy O’Keefe arrived, Gorman was gone. The passenger was still on the scene, however, and complained of pain in his chest. He was treated at the scene by paramedics, then taken to Mariner’s Hospital. He later told the deputy that Gorman and he had both been drinking while in the car.
Deputies ran the tag on the Jaguar and found out the driver lived nearby. They went to her house and she said was unaware her car was gone and didn’t know who took it. When they asked her where they could find “Tim” she said he is a neighbor who lives in a downstairs apartment in a nearby home. She told them she keeps the keys to the Jaguar inside her truck, parked nearby.
Deputy O’Keefe knocked on the door of Gorman’s apartment and he answered the door. He had facial injuries that were bleeding and made a statement that he should not have been driving and his actions had been “stupid”.
Gorman was arrested. He was taken to Mariner’s Hospital for treatment of his injuries and then released into the custody of law enforcement. He was charged with burglary of a vehicle, grand theft of a vehicle, theft, hit and run, reckless driving and driving with a suspended license. He was booked into jail.