CLEARWATER BEACH — A Lakeland man was arrested on Independence Day after police said he used flashing lights and an emergency siren to move through heavy traffic on the Memorial Causeway while trying to reach a fishing charter.
According to a Clearwater Police Department arrest affidavit, a police sergeant was driving an unmarked cruiser westbound on the causeway early Saturday morning, July 4, when he heard an emergency vehicle siren approaching from behind.
The sergeant reportedly saw a black SUV with pinkish-colored flashing lights mounted in the grille and on the dashboard. Police said the lights could be mistaken for red emergency lights and that motorists moved to both sides of the roadway, allowing the SUV to travel through the center of the traffic jam…