THE PUNTA GORDA POLICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH THE FLORIDA HIGHWAY PATROL IN INVESTIGATING A CRASH INVOLVING PUNTA GORDA CITY COUNCILMAN CHARLES WALLACE’S CAR. POLICE SPOKESWOMAN CHRISTY ARNOLD TOLD THE SUN IT WAS DEPARTMENT POLICY TO BRING IN AN OUTSIDE AGENCY TO INVESTIGATE CASES AGAINST CITY OFFICIALS. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED JUST BEFORE 3AM FRIDAY WHEN WALLACE’S 2008 MERCEDES PLOWED INTO A YIELD SIGN AND A PALM TREE AFTER FAILING TO NEGOTIATE A “S” CURVE ON WEST MARION AVENUE NEAR PARK BEACH PLACE. THE CITY’S POLICE REPORT ON THE CRASH SAYS THE SIGN AND TREE WERE VALUED AT $200, WHILE THERE WAS ABOUT $5000 DAMAGE DONE TO WALLACE’S CAR. POLICE FOUND THE CAR, BUT NO ONE WAS IN IT. WALLACE WAS FOUND AT A RESIDENCE ON PARK BEACH CIRCLE, WHICH ACQUAINTANCES SAID WAS HIS. POLICE REPORTED HE APPEARED INTOXICATED, BUT REFUSED TO TALK TO AUTHORITIES. THE RESIDENCE THAT’S LISTED ON OFFICIAL RECORDS THAT FALLS WITHIN HIS DISTRICT WAS FOUND TO BE EMPTY.
