A Fruitland Park man who was found unresponsive with blue lips was taken to a local hospital after a crash.
An officer responded to the scene of the crash at the intersection of West North Boulevard and Glenn Ridge Drive around 8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. Dispatchers advised that the driver of a black Chrysler Town & Country, later identified as 33-year-old Michael Joshua Cepeda, struck a white truck.
Cepeda was found leaned backward in his seat, and his lips were blue. He had a pulse but was not responding to pain from rubbing his sternum. As the officer continued medical treatment, he noticed a small plastic baggie with a white powdery substance in the center console cupholder, the report said.
Lake EMS arrived shortly after to take Cepeda to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, located at 600 E Dixie Ave. Meanwhile, the officer spoke to the truck driver who had been hit by Cepeda. He advised that he was stopped at the intersection when the van hit the back of his truck. He then pulled into a nearby parking lot, during which he saw the van slowly roll into the intersection until it hit a crosswalk pole, the report said.
A subsequent inventory of Cepeda’s vehicle led to the recovery of the bag seen earlier in the cupholder. A test of its contents came back positive for 2.5 grams of methamphetamine, the report said.
The officer later responded to UF Health and spoke with Cepeda. He stated that earlier in the day, he bought marijuana near the barbershop where he worked. During the transaction, the seller spilled items from his fanny pack inside his vehicle. The seller offered him other narcotics to buy, but he only wanted the marijuana. Cepeda subsequently directed the officer to his jeans pocket where he kept 4.5 grams of marijuana, the report said.
Cepeda was arrested on charges of possession of methamphetamine and marijuana (less than 20 grams). The New York native was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $3,500.