A speeding van driven by a man later arrested for drunken driving, went out of control on a Key
West highway, taking out five palm trees and a sign. An officer clocked the 1991 Chevrolet van at 70 m.p.h.
as it went past on North Roosevelt Blvd. at about 1 a.m. Wednesday. It went off the highway onto the
sidewalk and hit five palm trees that are part of "The Parade of Palms" lining the Gulf of Mexico side of
the road. Then it hit a street sign. Officers said the road was strewn with debris. Both rear tires had come
off and the bare rims gouged the pavement in three places. Miraculously, none of the five people in the
van was seriously hurt. The driver, Sergei Manannikov, 36, of Key West, was arrested for driving under
the influence.
This Saturday Keys kids will have a chance to get their picture taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus and tell them their last-minute holiday wishes. The Key West Police Department Toys for Tots volunteers, with Winn-Dixie and Coca Cola, are sponsoring the annual Children's Christmas Fest. Free fingerprinting will be available in addition to the free picture.
The Clauses and their police officer friends will be near the Key West Winn-Dixie, next to the U.S. Post Office in the Key Plaza shopping center, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 16.
Families of kids expecting to receive gifts from Toys for Tots are reminded to stay close to home Sunday, Dec. 17, after 10 a.m. That's then Santa and Mrs. Claus will be delivering sacks of presents to the kids' families' houses. They'll be easy to spot. They'll be riding on a firetruck.