- January 21, 2025
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A Daytona Beach Police Department sergeant has been charged with a DUI by Flagler Beach Police Department officers after he jumped the median on State Road A1A.
Sgt. Christopher Pearsall, an 11-year employee at the department, has been placed on administrative duty “pending the outcome of both the criminal proceedings” and the DBPD’s internal investigation, according to an email from the DBPD. Pearsall will first appear before Flagler County Judge Melissa Distler on Jan. 7.
The crash took place at 3:35 a.m. in the 2100 block of South Ocean Shore Boulevard, also known as S.R. A1A, when Pearsall, driving north on the state road, jumped the median, crossing into the southbound lanes and partially driving up onto the sidewalk, according to Pearsall’s arrest report.
When a FBPD police officer arrived, Pearsall’s truck had damage to all four wheels and Pearsall was walking around his truck surveying the damage. Pearsall tried to tell the officer that a friend of his had been driving but had ran off.
A man who witnessed the crash told the officer that no one else was in the car when it crashed, nor did he see anyone run off from the scene. While being interview, Pearsall kept changing his story and could not give the officer the name of his friend, the report said.
The officer noted that Pearsall smelled strongly of alcohol, was slurring his speech and had bloodshot eyes. When asked, Pearsall said he four beers approximately two hours earlier, but refused to participate in a field sobriety test and a breath test.
Pearsall was placed under arrest and taken first to the hospital for clearance and then to the Flagler County inmate facility. During the drive, the officer noted that “the smell [of alcohol] continued to remain very strong, even with the windows down.”
Pearsall was issued a citation, but not booked into the county jail, according to Flagler County inmate records. Because he refused the breath test, Pearsall’s license was surrendered, according to his citation on the Flagler County Clerk of Court website.
