CAPE CORAL, Fla. — On Saturday, May 9, 2026, just after 9:00 PM, officers with the Cape Coral Police Department were dispatched to the intersection of Santa Barbara Blvd S and Cape Coral Pkwy E, Cape Coral, Florida, for a single-vehicle crash. Dispatch advised officers that a white vehicle had struck a concrete barrier at the intersection.
Officers arrived on scene and observed a white Honda Civic resting on top of the concrete barrier. Witnesses directed officers to the driver. As officers approached him, he began running eastbound on Cape Coral Pkwy E. Officers gave multiple commands for him to stop, but he refused to comply. Officers caught up to him and took him into custody before escorting him back to the crash scene.
The driver was identified as James Taylor (DOB 8/4/1993). Taylor spontaneously told officers he was going to jail and that he was “f***** up.” Officers also discovered Taylor was carrying a bottle of Wray & Nephew rum while running from the crash scene.
Officers spoke with multiple witnesses. Two separate witnesses stated they saw a white vehicle hanging over the barrier on the south side of the roadway. Both witnesses told officers they saw Taylor exit the vehicle and described him as wearing a blue long-sleeved fishing shirt, which matched the clothing Taylor was wearing when officers detained him. The witnesses also stated they observed Taylor run from the crash scene as officers arrived.
A third witness provided officers with dash camera footage of the crash. The video showed the white Honda Civic traveling southbound into the intersection and failing to negotiate the turn to travel eastbound on Cape Coral Pkwy E before crashing into the barrier.
While speaking with Taylor, officers detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from his breath. Taylor also displayed watery, glassy eyes and slow, slurred speech. Once the crash investigation was completed, officers began a DUI investigation. Taylor agreed to participate in Standardized Field Sobriety Exercises.
Based on the investigation, Taylor was arrested for DUI. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a multicolored metal scoop inside Taylor’s wallet. The scoop contained a white powdery substance that field tested positive for cocaine.
Taylor also agreed to provide breath samples, which resulted in readings of .156 and .166.
James Taylor (DOB 8/4/1993) was transported to the Lee County Jail and charged with:
- DUI (.15 or higher)
- Two counts of DUI with Property Damage
- Leaving the Scene of a Crash Involving Property Damage
- Resisting an Officer without Violence
- Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Taylor’s vehicle over the barrier