The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office reported a busy but largely manageable Memorial Day weekend, with deputies making 20 arrests — including two DUIs — handling 1,418 calls for service, and conducting 350 traffic stops between 6 p.m. Friday, May 22, and 6 a.m. Tuesday, May 26, 2026.
“A thank you to our community for enjoying the Memorial Day Weekend responsibly and remembering the sacrifice given by so many for our freedoms,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “We were busy but most people heeded our warnings.”
Two incidents stood out from the weekend’s activity.
DUI Crash on I-95 in Palm Coast
On Saturday night, May 23, a Daytona Beach woman was arrested for DUI after sideswiping another vehicle on southbound Interstate 95 in Palm Coast.
At around 9:00 p.m., Nikia Walker, 47, entered I-95 from State Road 100 when she failed to stay in her lane and struck a second vehicle traveling in the outside lane. Both drivers pulled to the shoulder and called 911.
When deputies arrived, they noted that Walker had bloodshot eyes, the smell of alcohol on her breath, and difficulty communicating. She was given a field sobriety test and showed multiple signs of impairment. A breath test later returned results of 0.15 and 0.147 — nearly double Florida’s legal limit of 0.08.
Walker was arrested for DUI with property damage and taken to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility. She was later released on a $1,000 bond.
“Driving impaired puts every driver on the road at risk,” said Sheriff Staly. “We warned people not to drink and drive on Memorial Day weekend or any time for that matter. Causing a crash at interstate speeds — she is lucky her night ended with a ride to the Green Roof Inn and not the hospital or the morgue or injuring or killing anyone.”
105 MPH Driver Blames a Leg Cramp
On Sunday morning, May 24, a St. Augustine man was arrested after a deputy clocked him doing 105 mph in a 70-mph zone on southbound I-95 near the 283-mile marker.
At 8:49 a.m., deputies observed a blue 2019 Toyota C-HR weaving past other vehicles at high speed. Radar confirmed the vehicle’s speed at 105 mph. When the deputy pulled the driver over, the man — identified as Rafael Lopez, 62, of St. Augustine — spoke up before the deputy could even explain the reason for the stop. Lopez said his leg had locked up, and he was rushing to a nearby rest area.
A check of Lopez’s driving history raised questions about that explanation. In 2022, Lopez was convicted of exceeding the speed limit by 50 mph or more after being caught driving 127 mph in a 60-mph zone.
“We aren’t doctors, but with leg pain and speeds over 100 mph, we can diagnose him with a lead foot,” said Sheriff Staly. “A few minutes saved by speeding isn’t worth risking your life or everyone else’s.”
Lopez was arrested for dangerously operating a vehicle at 100 mph or more and transported to the Flagler County Inmate Facility. He was later released on a $150 bond.
