A man in Marion County is facing a drunk driving charge after police reportedly found him driving a ride-on lawnmower in the middle of a highway. Florida authorities in Marion County detained the man, who was found on Highway 316 about 160 kilometers outside of Orlando. He has been charged with DUI and taken to jail, though it is unclear whether he remains there as of this writing.
According to the sheriff’s office, a sheriff’s deputy responded to the call on Aug. 5 to discover the accused man driving down the middle of the highway on a lawnmower. When approached, the man was asked how much he had to drink and whether he knew where he was. The man allegedly admitted to consuming “a couple” of alcoholic beverages.
Officers reported that the man appeared to be struggling to get up. When asked to complete a field sobriety test, the man refused, allegedly telling officers simply to take him to jail. Officers later confirmed that the man has three prior convictions for DUI as well as having had his license revoked four prior times. Of course, none of these prior convictions or revocations can be considered indicative of any wrongdoing in this situation.
A DUI can have serious repercussions on a person’s future, especially if it’s not the first time. Here in Florida, the man will face a trial date where he will be represented by a defense attorney who will carefully review all the facts of his case. This will help the attorney make the right decisions in building a defense against the charges.