DOCUMENT: Drunk, Crime

Cops: Drunk Driver Left His Arm Behind

Texan fled crash scene on foot without prosthetic

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One-Armed Driver

FEBRUARY 13--After drunkenly crashing his car early yesterday, a Texas man fled the totaled vehicle, leaving behind his prosthetic arm, cops say.

Juan Gutierrez, 23, was behind the wheel of a 2000 Toyota Camry that was traveling the wrong direction on a state highway in Corpus Christi when he lost control of the vehicle around 2:30 AM, according to police.

Gutierrez’s car “drove off the freeway between two overpass bridges and became airborne and dropped down” to a street below. The Toyota subsequently came to a halt after striking a bridge pillar.

Police allege that Gutierrez exited the car and fled the accident scene on foot, leaving behind his 27-year-old male passenger, who suffered minor injuries. When officers arrived at the site of the one-car crash, they discovered that Gutierrez also left without his prosthetic right arm (which was found inside the automobile).

The arm can be seen in the above image that was recorded by a body camera worn by a Corpus Christi Police Department officer.

Gutierrez was arrested by cops who spotted “the one armed man walking not far from the scene,” police reported. Pictured in the adjacent mug shot, Gutierrez--who was treated for minor injuries--was charged with drunk driving and booked into the local jail on the misdemeanor count. (1 page)