NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A man drove around a closed beach sign and into the rough surf on Florida’s New Smyrna Beach on Tuesday, leading to his arrest, according to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office released a bystander video they say shows Jason Brzuszkiewicz, of New York, taking a joyride through the waves when a High Surf Advisory was in effect on Tuesday morning. In the video, the white truck can be seen driving parallel to the shore in the waves, back out and into the surf again.
In body camera video recorded by Volusia County deputies, the driver blamed his truck for not being an amphibious vehicle.
“It’s not my fault the truck don’t surf,” he told authorities, adding he thought he was “in England.”
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His truck’s surfing abilities weren’t the problem. Deputies said the suspect drove around a closed gate marked “DO NOT ENTER” and accessed the beach. The beach was closed Tuesday because of high surf along Florida‘s east coast caused by a storm system moving across the peninsula early this week.
High Surf Advisories and Small Craft Advisories remain in effect through Thursday night. Large breaking waves between 5 and 11 feet are possible, along with a high rip current risk for coastal Volusia County, including New Smyrna Beach. Dangerous swimming and surfing conditions are forecast through Friday morning.
According to the arrest report, Brzuszkiewicz is accused of failing to pay the $20 vehicular access fee. He was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on a $200 bond.
“Fantastic, that’ll make the Facebook page today,” deputies joked as they were loading up the driver.
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Sure enough, a few hours later, the not-surfing truck and the accused driver made an appearance on the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
Social media commenters were quick to point out that New Smyrna Beach is one of the few beaches in Florida open to drivers but “not in the ocean.”
Driving on the beach is only legal in Florida in Volusia, Nassau and St. John’s counties when the surf and weather conditions allow.