Unlicensed driver from Mexico runs red light and causes crash

A Leesburg man was arrested for driving without a license after causing a car collision at an intersection in Fruitland Park. 

Police responded to a vehicle crash with injuries in the area of U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and Miller Boulevard at 10:03 p.m. Friday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. 

Upon the officer’s arrival, he observed two vehicles in the intersection with extensive damage, one of which was a black Cadillac belonging to 28-year-old Arturo Briano Gonzales. It was ultimately determined he ran a red light and caused the accident, the report said. 

A check of Gonzales’ driving history was unsuccessful as the officer was unable to find a Florida driver’s license on record. Additionally, there was no record of his driver’s license in any state, the report said. 

Gonzales was then taken to UF Health, located at 600 East Dixie Avenue in Leesburg, for treatment of his injuries. While there, he advised that he had been in Florida for about three years. He stated he was not a United States citizen and was illegally in the country. He further explained that he drank two alcoholic beverages before the accident. The results of a blood alcohol test are pending at this time, the report said. 

After being cleared by medical personnel, Gonzales was arrested on charge of no driver’s license (never had one). He was also issued a citation for failing to obey a traffic control signal. The native of Mexico was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,000 bond.