A bizarre and dangerous scene unfolded at Daytona Beach International Airport on Wednesday when a 58-year-old Florida man drove his car through a secured gate and onto an active runway, attempting to board multiple planes before being apprehended.
Authorities say the man, identified as Brian Parker, was highly intoxicated when he drove a blue Ford Mustang onto the runway around 4:25 p.m. Deputies say he nearly collided with a taxiing aircraft before abandoning the vehicle and running toward a plane preparing for departure, but the aircraft was locked.
Parker then rushed toward another plane, where an airport worker intervened, pulling him away and briefly restraining him. He managed to break free and made yet another attempt to reach a different aircraft before security ultimately detained him and placed him in handcuffs.
During questioning, Parker admitted to consuming multiple substances after attending an AA meeting earlier in the day. “I’m doing cocaine, drinking, and smoking pot,” he told deputies, later acknowledging he had crashed his car before entering the airport grounds.
Parker was taken into custody and booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he now faces a series of charges, including attempted aircraft piracy, burglary of a conveyance, felony trespassing at an airport, exposure of sexual organs, criminal mischief, DUI with property damage, and refusal to submit to testing, according to the sheriff’s office.
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