MARTIN COUNTY, Fla. — A Friday night driving lesson ended with two men arrested and thousands of dollars worth of property damage.
According to a post on the Martin County Sheriff's Office Facebook page, Ely Ramiro Lucas, 27, told deputies he has never had a valid driver's license or an identification card. However, the agency said Lucas had a few drinks before he got behind the wheel of his friend's car.
Deputies said Lucas' friend, Eduardo Jose Merida Villatoro, 31, has also never had a valid driver's license or an identification card.
According to the sheriff's office, the duo took part in an instructional driving course in a residential neighborhood in the 6700 block of Amyris Court at about 6 p.m.
The agency said Lucas was intoxicated and took the wheel as he listened to driving instructions from Villatoro, who was in the passenger's seat.
"This scenario did not make for a safe or successful ending," the sheriff's office said in the Facebook post.
Witnesses said the vehicle was moving recklessly on and off the road and running stop signs.
"The final exam occurred when Lucas hit the gas instead of the brake, smashing into a parked car, which in turn smashed into an occupied house," the Facebook post said.
No one was hurt, but the estimated damage was estimated to be $20,000.
Since neither Lucas nor Villatoro have insurance, the sheriff's office said the homeowners will be responsible for the damage to their home and parked vehicle despite not being at fault for the wreck.
Homeowner Amy Stolzenfeld said she is angry because someone could have been killed.
"I'm so grateful it was a rainy day," Stolzenfeld said. "My children were inside."
The sheriff's office said they are stepping up enforcement.
The agency said there were 382 citations for unlicensed drivers in 2022. Last year, it was more than 500, and this year should top that.
"We have a zero-tolerance approach," Martin County Chief Deputy John Budensiek said. "This year alone, we've issued 167 criminal citations forcing these individuals to go before a judge and be sanctioned for their crime, because it is a misdemeanor crime."
Lucas faces a charge for not having a license and DUI with property damage. Villatoro faces a charge of knowingly allowing an unlicensed driver to operate his motor vehicle.