Lee County Sheriff’s Office deputy involved in crash at Lehigh Acres intersection

A Lehigh Acres man is in need of some help after his car was stolen and involved in a crash with a Lee County deputy’s SUV.

He told WINK News that he’s struggling to get work, and since his car was his only form of transportation and is without it, he has to depend on others.

Lehigh Acres neighbors were not surprised to see the driver of the 2020 Dodge Charger involved in a wreck.

“He was driving real erratic and just real dangerous stuff. And I thought maybe might hit our car or the house,” a neighbor said.

Minutes later, the neighbor’s worries came true.

“He went up and down the street five or six times,” the neighbor said. “This guy ran through the stop sign and T-boned a police officer.”

However, the person behind the wheel of the Dodge Charger was not the real owner. The real owner reported his car stolen last Thursday after someone took it outside his home.

“I low-key thought they weren’t going to find it at all. I thought it was probably somewhere already out in Miami getting stripped for parts or something,” Fort Myers resident and owner of the 2020 Dodge Charger, Ernesto Vence, said.

Vence said he saw breaking news on WINK News early Monday morning and recognized his car. So even though Vence is happy the search is over, it isn’t exactly how he wanted it to happen.

“I’ve saved up for my car. I know it’s not the best car or the newest car, but I worked hard for it,” Vence said.

We know one of the drivers involved in the crash suffered minor injuries, but LCSO has not confirmed if it’s the deputy or the person driving the stolen car. WINK News does not expect the Sheriff’s Office to provide new information until Tuesday.