A Florida man was arrested for driving under the influence a seventh time after the officer who pulled him over for an alleged traffic violation believed he smelled like he had been drinking alcohol.
Late in the evening on December 29, a man in a Toyota SUV was driving in Brevard County. Deputies with the Brevard County Sheriff’s Department spotted the vehicle, and when they checked the plates, they reportedly learned that the registration was for a different make and model truck.
The deputies initiated a traffic stop, and when initially speaking to the driver, he allegedly smelled strongly of alcoholic beverages. It was assumed that the man, who had been arrested for DUI on several occasions, was driving under the influence of alcohol.
According to reports, when asked to participate in roadside sobriety tests, the man would not consent. He also reportedly refused to allow the authorities to take breath, blood, and/or urine samples to test his blood-alcohol concentration level.
The man was taken into custody and booked into the Brevard County Jail. He is facing several preliminary charges including one felony count of driving under the influence for the fourth or subsequent time, one count of misdemeanor refusal to submit to DUI testing, and a traffic citation for failure to register a motor vehicle. According to jail records, he was released on bond. It was later discovered that the suspect was ordered by the court to keep an interlock device in his automobile, but he allegedly did not have one in the SUV.
Since then, he has been charged with two additional DUIs, and he has a court date scheduled for the morning of March 26.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a DUI offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.