CLEARWATER ― Law enforcement officials arrested a man Saturday who crashed his car into a power pole, fled the scene and then tried to hide in some nearby bushes.

Shalom Lamar Jones, 26, of Ocklawaha, was driving eastbound down Gulf to Bay Boulevard at about 6 p.m., a news release from the Clearwater Police Department said. Jones was driving recklessly, weaving between traffic from lane to lane, the release said.

Jones crashed his car into a power pole, throwing power lines across Clearwater’s major east-west thoroughfare. Gulf to Bay Boulevard was closed between McMullen Booth Road and Hampton Road for about an hour Saturday.

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After the crash, Jones ran from the scene of the accident, the release said. Authorities found him hiding in nearby bushes.

Jones was arrested and taken to the Pinellas County Jail. He has been charged with, among other offenses, reckless driving, leaving the scene of a crash with property damage, driving under the influence and battery on law enforcement, the release said.







