FLORIDA — A 54-year-old man died early Friday while in custody at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, following his arrest for driving under the influence after a crash in Palm Coast, according to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said the man, identified as Vadim Valenteychik, was arrested Thursday morning after deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash at the intersection of Corporate Drive North and Palm Coast Parkway in Palm Coast. Investigators said Valenteychik told deputies he drove onto a curb, through bushes, and into a building.
Deputies reported detecting a strong odor of alcohol and initiated a DUI investigation. Field sobriety tests were stopped when Valenteychik was unable to stand without swaying or stumbling. After his arrest, he was transported to a hospital for medical clearance, where two breath tests showed blood alcohol content levels of 0.325% and 0.340%, more than four times Florida’s legal limit of 0.08%.
Valenteychik was later booked into the detention facility, held alone, and checked on regularly, deputies said. At approximately 6 a.m. Friday, he was found unresponsive in his cell. Life-saving measures were attempted, including the use of an automated external defibrillator, but he was pronounced dead by Flagler County Fire Rescue. The cause of death has not yet been determined.
To ensure transparency, Sheriff Rick Staly requested an independent investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The sheriff’s office will also conduct an internal review to confirm procedures were followed, and a clinical medical review by the jail’s medical provider is underway.
Court and Detention Services Chief Dan Engert said inmates with severe alcohol-related health issues are not uncommon, noting that blood alcohol levels between 0.30% and 0.35% carry an extremely high risk of coma or death.
