Three Villages residents were recently arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving over three days, an unfortunate occurrence that shows just how common it is for people to get behind the wheel while under the influence of alcohol.
The first arrest happened during the early hours of a recent Saturday when a 57-year-old woman was pulled over after cops reportedly observed her driving “very slowly” on U.S. Highway 27/441. Police officers also said the rear lights on the woman’s car were not illuminated.
An officer who approached the woman noticed the “odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle, made stronger while she was speaking,” according to a police report obtained by Villages-News. The woman reportedly told the officer that she had consumed “a few beers.”
She reportedly performed poorly in field sobriety exercises. Breathalyzer tests showed that she had a blood alcohol content ranging from 0.148 to 0.152 percent, approaching double the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
The other two arrests occurred on the following Tuesday.
First, a Village of Gilchrist man was arrested near a liquor store in Lady Lake after an anonymous caller informed cops that the man was visibly intoxicated before getting into his Tesla. The man “could barely hold the alcohol he was purchasing” at the store, the caller reportedly told police.
The man, who cops noted was wearing two different types of shoes, denied having imbibed once he was pulled over in a traffic stop.
Nevertheless, the driver “struggled through field sobriety exercises,” Villages-News reports. “He failed to provide an adequate breath sample because he would not properly blow into the testing device.”
The third arrest came less than three hours later, after a crash near Dev’s Discount Beverage on U.S. 301 in Wildwood.
Officers responding to the crash noted that a 65-year-old Villager behind the wheel of his car had “very bloodshot and watery” eyes and that the fly of his pants “was down.”
The man submitted breath samples after performing poorly in field sobriety exercises. Breathalyzers showed his blood alcohol content as high as 0.38 percent, according to Villages-News. The eye-popping number is nearly five times the legal limit in Florida and across the country.
Drinking and Driving is Reckless
Sadly, DUI arrests seem to have done little to eradicate the incredibly dangerous behavior of drinking and driving.
More than 15,000 accidents involving alcohol and/or drugs occur across the state every year, killing some 800 people, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. That’s not to mention the people who suffer serious and even life-changing injuries in these collisions.
There is some good news, however. Anyone who has been injured in an accident caused by a drunk driver has the right to seek compensation from those responsible for the crash. That includes money for medical bills, missed wages during recuperation, property damage and other consequences of the crash.
Speak With a Villages Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured in a golf cart or other crash, it is vital to seek the advice of an experienced injury attorney. Villages accident attorney Tim Babiarz has been fighting for people and families across the community for more than two decades.
Our office is conveniently located in the Villages. We are also proud to represent clients throughout the area, including in Ocala, Leesburg, Lady Lake, Wildwood, Summerfield and beyond. Call (352) 205-7559 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with a Villages accident attorney.
