A witness told troopers she was driving in the outside lane of I-95 near Atlantic Avenue Tuesday afternoon when she said Diaz, driving a rented white Ford Maverick, began weaving through multiple lanes and performing “donuts” and “burnouts” in the middle of the highway. The witness said Diaz repeatedly tried to hit her car and other vehicles before eventually losing control and slamming into the inside concrete wall. Once out of his mangled truck, troopers say Diaz frantically began throwing items — including a suitcase, a black bag and even his own front bumper — over the median into southbound traffic lanes.
According to the arrest report obtained by BocaNewsNow.com, an FHP Trooper found Diaz walking around the crash scene sweating heavily, slurring his speech and unable to focus. A pat-down turned up marijuana, and a search of the black bag Diaz had tossed over the wall turned up a loaded Taurus .327 revolver, a small bag of cocaine and several unmarked blue pills. Diaz was taken to Bethesda Hospital East for evaluation, where troopers say he appeared to be nodding off and struggled to stay awake. He later refused to submit to a blood test after being read Florida’s implied consent law. A K9 alerted on Diaz’s locked suitcase, which troopers say was found to contain more of the same blue pills, marijuana products and a passport identifying Diaz as the owner.
Diaz, whose record shows a lengthy arrest history and prior drug charges, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on charges including reckless driving, DUI, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, criminal mischief over $1,000, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a weapon during commission of a felony, tampering with evidence, and multiple counts of drug possession including cocaine, marijuana over 20 grams and controlled substances without a prescription. Ortes lives in Davenport, IA. He is scheduled to appear in court Sept. 9…