NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
April 15, 2009
Contact: Michele Nicholson
Public Information Officer
(850) 651-7420
HABITUAL TRAFFIC OFFENDER NABBED FOR USING BLUE LIGHTS
A Fort Walton Beach man with a revoked license who is
designated as a habitual traffic offender faces new charges after he was spotted
by an Okaloosa County Sheriff's Deputy driving down the road with flashing white
and blue lights on his vehicle.
Lt. Arnold Brown was at the intersection of
Wellington Road and South Avenue on Friday, April 10th, when he saw what he
thought was an emergency vehicle approaching with flashing white and blue
lights. Vehicles traveling in the opposite direction were pulling off the
roadway to yield to the oncoming car. The driver however slammed on his brakes
when he noticed Lt. Brown's patrol car.
Lt. Brown noticed that the blue mini-van was a
privately-owned vehicle. The driver, 22-year old Erick Stewart Berkowitz of 823
Lark Street in Fort Walton Beach, pulled into a nearby driveway and Lt. Brown
made a citizens contact with him. The van had three simulated antenna's taped to
the luggage rack and homemade lights attached to the rear view mirror. Berkowtiz
denied simulating an emergency vehicle, however along with the antennas and
flashing strobe lights, he also had
a blue LED light affixed to the visor and a security officer's badge on a neck
chain on the passenger's seat.
A driver's license check revealed Berkowitz's
license was revoked and he had been designated a Habitual Traffic Offender on
February 5, 2008.
Berkowitz is now charged with operating a motor
vehicle while his DL is revoked as habitual traffic offender and prohibited use
of certain lights; blue and white.
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