LEE, ONEIDA CO. -- A Rome man was arrested on drug charges after repeatedly crashing into the Nice-N-Easy in the Town of Lee and failing to comply with deputies.
Oneida County 911 dispatchers got a call about a white man traveling northbound on Rt. 26 at a high rate of speed. Deputies say the car had a flat front tire and reportedly pulled into the parking lot of M&M Collision.
The clerk at the nearby Nice-N-Easy reported the man had repeatedly struck the building and then took off. Moments later, deputies spotted the driver with no front tire.
Deputies say the driver of the van, 66-year-old Flavio Benavidez, of S. James St., refused to stop when they tried to pull him over. Deputies say he kept driving, swerving on and off the road before eventually stopping in the outer district.
Deputies say Benavidez was under the influence of drugs at the time. He is charged with DWAI Drugs and DWI and several traffic violations.
