The demon drink can occasionally make anyone think the craziest actions are quite logical. In the case of a Greenwich, Rhode Island man, he had lost his car keys and stole a forklift in Marathon Marina, Florida, because he “needed something to drive.”
The Providence Journal reports that Edward Joseph Quinton, 44, hails from East Greenwich in Rhode Island. While under the influence of alcohol on Thursday evening, he apparently lost his car keys. Quinton then decided to steal a forklift from the marina to drive, in lieu of his inaccessible car. Deputies got a call Thursday evening to let them know someone had broken through the entrance gates to the marina.
On arrival, officers found a man, sporting piercings and wearing a tank top, blue shorts and flip flops. The man had apparently driven through the gates of the marina with a stolen forklift, smashing them. On spotting the police, the man fled, driving the forklift and heading towards a store nearby.
Deputies chased the man, who was still driving the forklift
As stated in a news release by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, Quinton then crashed the forklift through the gates, driving for several blocks before the police deputies managed to catch up with him. When the deputies questioned him about the incident, Quinton told them he was down in the Keys to help some friends who were moving there.
He explained that he had lost his car keys and needed something to drive. Saying he knew perfectly well how to drive the vehicle, he also added that he would easily be able to fix the damage to the gates, because he is reportedly a “genius.”
Breathalyzer tests showed Quinton’s blood-alcohol level was high
On testing Quinton’s blood-alcohol level, deputies discovered it was twice the legal limit in Florida for driving.
He is now facing charges of driving under the influence, burglary, criminal mischief and grand theft auto for stealing the fork lift. As reported by Fox News, Quinton is currently in jail on $8,500 bail and no record of any attorney was found.
