Florida Woman Faces DUI Charges for Driving Erratically Close to Power Crews

A 33-year-old Florida woman is facing charges of Driving Under the Influence after she was accused of driving recklessly close to power crews that were working, according to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. According to deputies, on Saturday at 6:55 p.m., they responded to the area of Highway 42 and Highway 450A after receiving calls concerning a reckless driver.

According to an arrest affidavit, a 911 caller reported that a white Chrysler vehicle was “doing doughnuts and slamming on the breaks in the road” in the area of Highway 92 and Rice Road. Deputies said that while they searched for the vehicle, they were flagged down by a witness who said a white Chrysler vehicle almost struck them before continuing east on Highway 42.

The affidavit indicates that as deputies drove east, they witnessed several linemen on the corner of Highway 42 and Highway 450A waving their arms and pointing to the white Chrysler. Deputies said that when they pulled the white Chrysler over, the driver would not provide them with the requested information. When asked to turn the vehicle off, the driver instead turned the radio up. She was asked again to turn the radio off and instead turned to “a different song and turned the radio up more.”

The driver was removed from the vehicle after failing to comply with the deputy’s orders and placed into wrist restraints, according to the affidavit. Deputies said the driver remained combative during her arrest. As deputies tried to place her into their patrol vehicle, she kicked her legs and tried to use them to push off of the vehicle. Ultimately, the officers saw fit to deploy a taser to subdue the driver “due to her noncompliance.”

According to the arrest affidavit, deputies uncovered an empty bottle of Fireball whiskey in the driver’s vehicle. Power workers who witnessed the defendant’s driving told deputies that she drove into oncoming traffic, “hooping and hollering” while driving dangerously close to the linemen. The witnesses further stated that the defendant left the area, but later returned and continued to drive recklessly.

Deputies said that as they transported the defendant to the police station, she told them, “I haven’t drank in years and then this is what happens.”

Deputies said that the driver continued to act erratically as they transported her to jail. She further had slurred speech and she smelled of alcohol. She then proceeded to spit in the back of the officer’s patrol car.

According to the affidavit, the driver refused a breathalyzer test while she was at the jail and no field tests were performed because the driver was behaving combatively. The driver faces charges of DUI, failure to obey police, and resisting an officer without violence.

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Source:

clickorlando.com/news/local/2024/10/14/lake-county-woman-faces-dui-charges-after-driving-erratically-dangerously-close-to-the-power-crews/