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Highlands Today

LP Traffic Accident Is County's First Fatality

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By Gary Pinnell | Highlands Today

Published: January 1, 2008

LAKE PLACID — Police think a man stole a car New Year's morning on Catfish Lane, then crashed it within a few miles of the owner's residence, killing himself.

"The people who live across the street heard a crash about 3 a.m." said Lake Placid Chief Phil Williams, "but they couldn't see anything through the fog. Sometime later this a.m., someone else discovered the car and called it in."

When police arrived on Interlake Boulevard, near Tangerine Avenue, they discovered a late model, tan colored Chrysler PT Cruiser. Williams said it appeared the car flipped end-over-end when it left the road and hit soft sand, then rolled onto the driver's side. The driver was ejected from the vehicle, landing about 20 feet away in an orange grove.

Police traced the tag back to a residence on Catfish Lane, where the owner realized it had been stolen.

The man was identified Tuesday afternoon as Patrick Christopher Units, 20, 1220 Highlands Drive, in Lake Placid.

Anyone with information about the car or the driver is asked to call Williams at 699-3757.

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