Florida man accused of crashing into pipe at water plant, disrupting service to residents: ‘I messed up’
Eliuvar Garza, 24, shown inset, faces multiple charges after hitting a large water plant pipe. The collision caused massive water disruptions for hundreds of local residents. Image is courtesy of the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
STUART, Fla. - A Florida man accused of disrupting water service to hundreds of residents after crashing into a large pipe at a water plant and taking off was arrested after a family member took him to the hospital.
Water plant damage
What we know:
According to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, Eliuvar Garza, 24, of Stuart, slammed into a pipe at the Hobe Sound/Osprey Water Plant around 9 p.m.
A nearby resident reported hearing the crash and saw a man, later identified as Garza, sitting outside the damaged area repeating, "I messed up," before running away from the scene.
The damage from the crash significantly disrupted water service and pressure for many Hobe Sound residents.
Garza was located when a family member brought him into the hospital for injuries associated with the crash.
He was charged with leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, driving with a suspended license with knowledge, failure to use due care, and failure to stop at a stop sign.
Eliuvar Garza is accused of crashing into a large pipe at a water plant. Image is courtesy of the Martin County Sheriff's Office.
Repair timeline unknown
What we don't know:
Officials have not yet confirmed the total financial cost of the property damage or how long it will take crews to fully repair the pipe. It also remains unknown what factors caused the driver to lose control of his vehicle before the collision occurred.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, which detailed the arrest and charges, as well as a nearby resident who witnessed the driver fleeing the scene.