A Florida man was nabbed when he was reportedly seen driving a riding lawnmower down the highway while allegedly intoxicated.
Last Wednesday, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy reported that he watched as a man allegedly navigated at a crawling pace down Highway 316 while sitting atop a riding lawnmower.
The deputy hailed the driver to pull over his unorthodox vehicle for highway driving, and when interacting with the man the officer said that he believed he could smell liquor.
The driver, identified as Paul Burke from Fort McCoy, was reported as having a history of charges for driving under the influence. It was reported that Burke was prosecuted for three prior DUI’s, in addition to having several license suspensions and revocations.
When he asked Burke if he would comply with taking a roadside sobriety test, the deputy reported that the man said he would not, and that Burke allegedly admitted that he had been drinking alcohol.
Burke was reportedly asked for his intended destination, and the man said that he had simply decided to take a ride and was going back to his residence when he was flagged down by the deputy.
Burke allegedly asked if he could be cited and released, but the denied his request. Afterward, the man reportedly asked that he be placed under arrest.
It was reported that Burke was very cooperative while the deputy placed him in handcuffs and put him in the police vehicle.
The deputy honored the man’s previous request, and Burke, who allegedly did not have his license with him at the time, was taken into custody and booked into the county jail for suspicion of DUI.
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.