Commuters on eastbound I-4 got a wild and dangerous show on Wednesday when troopers say a battered pickup slammed into a guardrail, shed a front wheel, and then kept grinding down the interstate on three wheels until it plowed into a DeBary construction site.
Deputies identified the driver as 47-year-old Lake Helen resident Eric Drewry. They say he was arrested on DUI and related charges after allegedly resisting efforts to take him into custody. The surreal scene, captured by other motorists and later released by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, sparked showers of metal-on-asphalt sparks, shut down parts of the interstate, and turned a routine commute into a slow-moving nightmare.
According to Volusia County deputies and Florida Highway Patrol troopers, the chaos began with multiple reports of hit-and-run crashes along I-4. Responding units eventually spotted a white pickup that witnesses said had clipped a guardrail, lost a wheel, and was still heading east on three wheels. Investigators say the truck later exited at U.S. 17-92 and bogged down in a sandy construction zone off Shell Road in DeBary, according to ClickOrlando.
Deputies moved in at the construction site, where the truck was stuck in the sand. Authorities say they noted signs of impairment as they detained the driver. The Volusia County Sheriff’s Office later posted video of the arrest that shows deputies escorting the man away from the disabled pickup, as reported by WFTV. Officials allege Drewry resisted and kicked a deputy while they were placing him into a patrol vehicle.
How Troopers Say The Pickup Kept Rolling
Investigators say the impact with the guardrail was so strong it ripped off the truck’s front left wheel. Social media videos shared with law enforcement show a pickup barreling along I-4 with sparks shooting from where the wheel should have been, the metal grinding against the pavement at highway speed.
"The force of the collision ripped away (the pickup's) front left wheel," a trooper wrote in a report shared with local media. That same video evidence helped authorities connect the truck on the highway to the one later found stuck in DeBary, according to the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
Charges And What They Mean
Local law enforcement says Drewry is facing a stack of charges, including driving under the influence, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, refusal to submit to DUI testing, resisting law enforcement, and battery on a law enforcement officer, per reporting by ClickOrlando.
Under Florida law, drivers involved in crashes are required to stop and exchange information, and the state’s implied consent rules say motorists lawfully arrested on suspicion of DUI must submit to approved chemical testing. Refusing that testing can lead to administrative penalties and can be used against a driver in court. Those requirements are spelled out in Florida Statutes, Chapter 316, which governs traffic control, crash reporting, and implied consent.
Why This Matters On I-4
Interstate 4 is the daily lifeline for thousands of Central Florida commuters, so any crash or lane closure on that stretch can quickly snowball into miles of backup and secondary wrecks. Local outlets and troopers have flagged a steady drumbeat of DUI and other dangerous driving incidents on I-4 in recent months, highlighting just how risky it is when a badly damaged vehicle stays in live traffic, as WFTV has previously noted.
Volusia County deputies say the investigation into Wednesday’s incident is still active and that they will release more information as prosecutors review the case. A court date and full booking details have not yet been made public. Investigators are asking anyone who recorded video of the three-wheeled pickup on I-4 to share it with law enforcement so it can be added to the official case file.
