A Key West man spent the night in jail after driving his car off the road — and into the Atlantic Ocean — Sunday morning, according to police.
Police officers jumped into the water “without hesitation” and saved 41-year-old Michael Lee Grimes by breaking the windows of his black Dodge Challenger as it floated off Simonton Beach and began filling up with water, said Key West police spokeswoman Alyson Crean.
Upon retrieving him, they noticed Grimes smelled like alcohol; a field sobriety test concluded he was intoxicated, Crean added.
Grimes told police he was following another car since he was unfamiliar with the area. But when the other car turned, he explained to officers that he continued straight into the water, according to Crean.
After police officers rescued Grimes from the sinking vehicle, Crean noted that Key West Fire Rescue put divers into the water to make sure no one else was in it.
“It was fortunate that one of the first officers on scene was a former Special Forces Dive School Training Officer,” Key West police Chief Sean Brandenburg said in a statement. “Teamwork is vital in a situation that could have been life-threatening.”
Grimes, who could not be reached for comment, was booked into Monroe County jail around 7:30 a.m. Sunday.
He was released Monday afternoon with a court order to answer for one count of misdemeaner driving under the influence.