NEWS RELEASE
Weekend Roundup: Saturday May 22 – Monday May 25
Date:Wednesday, May 27, 2026
DUI crash and driver with a lead foot round out weekend
Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputies made 20 arrests, including two DUIs, this past Memorial Day weekend between 6 p.m. on Friday, May 22, 2026, and 6 a.m. on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. Deputies handled 1,418 calls for service and made 350 traffic stops.
“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.”
Daytona Beach Woman Arrested for DUI After I-95 Crash in Palm Coast
On Saturday night, May 23, deputies arrested a Daytona Beach woman for DUI after she sideswiped another vehicle on Interstate 95 in Palm Coast.
Around 9:00 p.m., Nikia Walker, 47, entered southbound I-95 from State Road 100 when she failed to maintain her lane and struck a second vehicle traveling in the outside lane. Both drivers pulled to the shoulder and called the Flagler County Emergency Communications Center.
Nikia Walker (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility Mugshot)
When deputies arrived, they observed Walker had bloodshot eyes, the odor of an alcoholic beverage on her breath, and difficulty communicating. Walker was given a field sobriety test and showed multiple indicators of impairment. She was arrested for DUI with property damage and transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where a breath sample returned results of 0.15 and 0.147 — nearly double the legal limit.
“Driving impaired puts every driver on the road at risk,” said Sheriff Rick Staly. “We warned people to not 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.”
Walker was later released on $1,000 bond.
St. Augustine Driver Arrested After Driving 105 MPH on I-95 — Blames a Leg Cramp
On Sunday morning, May 24, 2026, deputies arrested a St. Augustine man after clocking him at 105 MPH on Interstate 95.
Around 8:49 a.m., a deputy conducting traffic enforcement near the 283-mile marker of southbound I-95 observed a blue 2019 Toyota C-HR passing other motorists at a high rate of speed. The deputy’s radar confirmed the vehicle was traveling 105 MPH in a 70-mph zone. The deputy initiated a traffic stop and identified the driver as Rafael Lopez, 62, of St. Augustine.
Rafael Lopez (Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility Mugshot)
Before the deputy could explain the reason for the stop, Lopez said that his leg had locked up and he was rushing to a rest area. A review of his driving history told a different story — in 2022, Lopez was convicted of exceeding the posted speed limit by 50 mph or more after being clocked at 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 Rick 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.
See video of Lopez’s arrest