(September 22, 2014)-  The Florida Highway Patrol has concluded its investigation into a crash involving an intoxicated pedestrian and an off-duty Cape Coral Police Officer late Thursday night.  The investigation revealed that the intoxicated pedestrian failed to yield to traffic and was cited by the Florida Highway Patrol.  A synopsis of the case is below:

DATE: September 18, 2013
TIME: 9:01 pm
CASE #: FHP case report #83839556 (CCPD IR# 2014-0146802)
LOCATION: 200 block NE Pine Island Road

VEHICLE 1: 2004 Chevy Impala (CCPD unmarked patrol vehicle).
DRIVER 1: Brice E. Bearman, W/M, 1100 Cultural Park Boulevard, Cape Coral, Florida 33990.
DRIVER 1 INJURIES: Bearman suffered no injuries in the traffic crash.

PEDESTRIAN: John Richard Wrensch, Jr, W/M, 8-31-62, (homeless, lives in woods 200 NE Pine Island Road).
PEDESTRIAN INJURIES: Wrensch suffered serious injuries in the traffic crash.

SYNOPSIS:

Bearman was driving east on Pine Island Road in the inside lane approaching the 200 block in his assigned patrol vehicle.  According to Bearman, an SUV was traveling in the outside lane ahead of him and immediately swerved to the right as to miss something in the roadway.  At the same time, Bearman saw a dark figure (Pedestrian) in the roadway in his lane of travel.  Bearman swerved to the left to avoid the Pedestrian.  The passenger side of Vehicle 1 (near the back side of the front tire) struck the Pedestrian, as did the passenger side rearview mirror.  Bearman came to final rest in the grassy median.  The Pedestrian came to rest in the roadway.

According to a witness, she was the SUV in front of Bearman and swerved to the right to avoid the Pedestrian.  The witness stated that there was no way that Vehicle 1 could have avoided the Pedestrian.  There were no street lights in the area, there was no crosswalk, and the Pedestrian was wearing a dark shirt, dark shorts, and a dark hat.

Due to injuries suffered by the Pedestrian, he was trauma alerted to Lee Memorial Hospital for medical attention.  Traffic Homicide Investigator Officer Satterlee, Forensics Buckner, and FHP Trooper D. Garcia #3333 responded.  FHP Trooper D. Garcia completed the investigation finding the Pedestrian at fault in the traffic crash for failure to yield the right-of-way to traffic when not crossing at a crosswalk.

It is determined that there is no lighting in this portion of the roadway and the Pedestrian was crossing approximately 450 East of the intersection of Santa Barbara Boulevard, crossing North, to get to the wooded area where he lives.  Alcohol and/or Drugs were a factor in this crash.

The Pedestrian was issued a citation for the violation by FHP Trooper D. Garcia.

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