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Driver Arrested After Near-Miss With Families on Florida Beach

A 26-year-old Orlando woman was arrested and charged with DUI and reckless driving after plowing down a beach in Smyrna Dunes Park, Florida, on Saturday, May 27, narrowly missing families and children, Volusia Sheriff’s Office said.

Footage from a police helicopter and bodycam shows a blue vehicle stationary in tire-high water in a bay in Smyrna Dunes Park.

Sarah Ramsammy, 26, can be seen in a green t-shirt standing beside a passenger who was also in the vehicle.

Ramsammy explained to officers that she was “not sure” what happened.

“I was the driver, and they kinda stopped us, and they said that we almost hit a child. I didn’t think that we did, but that’s what they told us,” Ramsammy said.

When informed that vehicles were not allowed on the beach, Ramsammy said: “We were just trying to turn around, we didn’t think we could do a u-turn around here, so we were just trying to keep going.”

Ramsammy was taken into custody and charged with DUI and reckless driving, and cited for failure to obey a traffic control device, Volusia Sheriff’s Office said. Credit: Volusia Sheriff’s Office via Storyful

Video transcript

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

[DOG BARKS]

- Who's driving?

- They're over there. We're just some of the people they almost hit.

- OK.

- The little girl right there.

- OK. What happened?

- Um, I'm not sure. I was the driver, and they kind of stopped us. And they said that we almost hit a child. I didn't think that we did. That's what that they told us.

- Sending a unit on the reckless driver on Smyrna Dunes.

- OK.

- Yeah. Well, the people are down here because you can't drive on this part of the beach.

- I'm so sorry. We were driving from New Smyrna and we fell over here. And I'm really so sorry.

- We were just trying to turn around. We didn't think that we could do a U-turn around here.

- Can we go?

- [INAUDIBLE]

- Let me go look in the car real quick.

[INDISTINCT CHATTER]

Do you have your license on you?

- Yes, I do. It's in my phone, but it's in the car.

- I would get your phone out of there. Your car is not going to be moving for a while.

- OK. Can I get it?

- Yeah. Go get your license and your phone.

[DOG BARKS]

She's going to go to jail. OK?

- No.

- All right? So you can go with her, or you can stay out and get her out of jail with a bond.

- And why am I going to jail?

- So right now, I think you're driving under the influence.

- OK.

- All right?

- No.

- Then we got reckless with multiple people over here. You were inches away from multiple people. OK?

- I-- I can't. I have--

- So go ahead and turn around for me. Put your hands behind your back.

- Oh, my god. Please. No.

- Yes. Sorry.

- [SOBS] What do I do now?

- Call the police county [INAUDIBLE] and get her bond. She'll have a bond.

- You can bond her out.