Police: St. Cloud employee drove drunk, crashed into vehicles

A City of St. Cloud employee was arrested Thursday after police said he was driving drunk in the downtown area, where he crashed into multiple cars.

Jeremy Avery, who works at the city’s water and sewer division, was stopped near New York Avenue and 15th Street after he allegedly struck multiple vehicles and a light pole as he traveled through downtown St. Cloud.

A city spokesperson did not respond to an email seeking comment, but WESH-Channel 2 reported city officials plan to fire him.

As officers approached the white Ford F550 bearing city tags, the 34-year-old continued to slowly move the car, court filings show. Officers allegedly found a water bottle filled with Fireball cinnamon whiskey and said Avery refused a sobriety test, according to a report.

“Jeremy was impaired to the point where he could not stop his vehicle, exit the vehicle and produce documentation,” Officer Devin Dunn wrote in the report. “Once Jeremy was out of the vehicle, he could not stand on his own.”

The report added Avery was driving barefoot and had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath and incoherent speech. He was later taken to the Osceola County Jail.

Avery, who pleaded guilty of driving under the influence in 2015, had been out on a $500 bond after being jailed in December for leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, according to court records.

A police report alleged witnesses seeing Avery being trapped after driving over a curb and striking a water main while trying to leave a Checkers parking lot. He allegedly left the scene after freeing the truck and was later arrested at his St. Cloud home.

His next court appearance in that case is scheduled May 17. His arraignment regarding Thursday’s arrest is scheduled May 13.