News

Actions

Police: Drunk man drives through gate, rams cars

Drunk man drives through gate, rams cars
Posted at 11:00 AM, Dec 20, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-20 06:16:21-05

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee man has been arrested, accused of running through a subdivision gate and ramming multiple cars on the road while driving under the influence.

Michael Kirsch, 40, was arrested on Monday.

On Monday, officers received a call from a victim saying a silver Jeep had hit her car and kept driving north on Dempsey Mayo Road. The caller noted that the Jeep had severe damage to the front of it and had caused an estimated $400 in damage to her car. 

According to a court document, an officer spotted a Jeep matching the description driving north on Olson Road. The officer noted that the Jeep was badly damaged in the front and had a blown tire.

The officer conducted a traffic stop on the car but the driver, Kirsch, kept going, intentionally ramming into another car in front of him several times in an attempt to get them out of the way.

Eventually Kirsch stopped the car in the middle of the northbound lane on Olson Road.

When officers made contact with Kirsch, he made "vulgar statements" and continued to do so throughout the investigation. While on scene, according to court documents, officers got a call about a vehicle matching Kirsch's description that had ran through the gate at the Lafayette Oaks Subdivision.

Police were able to confirm that Kirsch had ran through the gate prior to his arrest, causing $8,000 worth of damage. 

Documents say officers tried to ask Kirsch what happened, but he denied hitting anything and said he had no idea why police were "harassing" him. Responding officers noted that "Kirsch's eyes were blood shot and glassy, he had heavily slurred speech and had almost no balance."

Kirsch refused a DUI test and got combative with officers when they told him to sit down, leading them to tase him and place him in handcuffs.

When they searched the car, police found a cup in the center console that had a brown liquid inside that smelt strongly of alcohol. 

On the floor, police found a cloth cooler with plastic cups sitting on top of it. Once they moved the cups they found "a half-gallon of Jim Beam Bourbon sitting inside of it that was open and half gone." They also found three beer cans inside. 

Documents say officers also found a medicine bottle with Dexedrine in it, which is a scheduled II narcotic.

Kirsch was charged with DUI, two counts of hit-and-run with property damage, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of battery on a law enforcement officer, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and two counts of resisting with violence. 

He was transported to the Leon County Detention Center where he remains on a $7,250 bond.