On August 30, Elizabeth Boucher, 24, was charged with driving under the influence after surveillance and bodycam video showed her crashing an SUV into a parked Honda in Daytona Beach, Florida. The collision pushed the Honda across a front lawn and out of view of the surveillance camera, according to police records.
During the traffic stop, Boucher minimized the severity of the crash when questioned by officers. Bodycam footage shows her stating, 'I guess I hit the front light of those cars, but I don’t know what really happened.' An officer responded, 'You didn’t just hit the front of the car. You just took the car completely off.'
Boucher provided a passport instead of a driver’s license when asked for identification, leading to further scrutiny. She later pleaded with officers not to take her to jail, stating, 'Please don’t take me to jail over this. It’s just a vape. I know. It didn’t even work.'
The case was escalated from a civil crash investigation to a criminal DUI investigation, and Boucher was read her Miranda rights. She refused field sobriety exercises and a breath test when formally requested by officers. Boucher also invoked a personal connection to the officers, stating, 'I thought we were all friends.' An officer replied, 'But we still have a job to do.'
Incident Details and Legal Process
The crash occurred at an unspecified location in Daytona Beach. Surveillance video captured the SUV striking the parked Honda with sufficient force to displace it from the camera’s field of view. Bodycam footage documents the subsequent interaction between Boucher and law enforcement, including her attempts to downplay the incident and her refusal to comply with standard sobriety procedures.
Officials confirmed that the case was reclassified as a criminal investigation due to suspected impairment. Boucher’s refusal to perform sobriety tests or submit to a breath test was documented in the bodycam video. No additional details about her blood alcohol concentration or other evidence of impairment were provided in the released materials.
Boucher’s Statements and Officer Responses
Bodycam audio includes Boucher’s repeated assertions that the incident was minor and her requests for leniency. She stated, 'It’s just a vape,' and 'Please don’t take me to jail over this.' When officers proceeded with standard protocol, Boucher acknowledged, 'I’m not resisting arrest.'
The bodycam footage does not indicate whether Boucher exhibited visible signs of impairment such as slurred speech or unsteady movement. The released materials do not include results from any chemical tests or evaluations conducted after the stop.
Background on DUI Enforcement in Florida
Florida law prohibits operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.08% or higher. Refusal to submit to a breath test may result in administrative penalties, including a one-year license suspension for a first offense. Field sobriety tests are voluntary in Florida, and individuals may decline to perform them without legal consequence.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles reports that DUI crashes accounted for 5,288 injuries and 340 fatalities in the state in 2022. Law enforcement agencies in Daytona Beach follow standard protocols for investigating suspected impaired driving, including video recording of traffic stops and documentation of driver behavior.
Next Steps in the Case
Boucher is scheduled to appear in court for the DUI charge. The outcome of the case will depend on evidence gathered during the investigation, including video footage, witness statements, and any chemical test results. No further details about Boucher’s prior record or additional charges were available in the released materials.