A Key West man reportedly choking on two bags of cocaine and heroin was arrested for impaired driving after colliding twice with another car late Wednesday night.
Joe Perez, Jr., 51, reportedly drove his car into the back of another car stopped at the light at North Roosevelt Boulevard and Palm Ave. at about 11:47. The other driver pulled over into an adjacent gas station. Perez followed and hit it again, then reportedly passed out at the wheel.
Key West Police Lt. Al Flowers saw the collisions as he was on his way to work and called for help. He said Perez was clearly in distress and having difficulty breathing.
Paramedics arrived and began to treat him, reportedly discovering and extracting two small plastic bags of cocaine mixed with heroin lodged in his throat. Officer Chris Ganem reported that Perez smelled of alcohol and he reportedly found a four-inch knife on the passenger seat and a baseball bat under the driver's seat.
After Perez was treated at the hospital, Ganem arrested him for driving under the influence refusal, driving under the influence with property damage, possession of controlled substances, and carrying concealed weapons.