Deputies: Man Took Backhoe Joyride On Florida's 7 Mile Bridge
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MARATHON, Fla. (CBSMiami/AP) — A 59-year old man took a backhoe on a joyride across the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys - dumping boulders onto the road, officials said.
Monroe County Sheriff's spokeswoman Becky Herrin says in a news release that Carl Blahnik damaged the road and the sides of the bridge early Tuesday while recklessly driving along it for 90 minutes.
She says deputies following him reversed direction several times to keep from being hit by the backhoe but eventually left the bridge for safety.
She says that when Blahnik left the bridge, he hit spikes deputies had placed on the road. He faces charges and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Herrin doesn't say whether he has a lawyer.
Traffic was allowed back on the bridge after 3 a.m.
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