A Fruitland Park man was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after being stopped for reckless driving and failing sobriety exercises.
An officer received a call from an off-duty Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputy regarding a white Ford passenger car traveling southbound on U.S. Highway 27/441 into the city around 8:18 p.m. Friday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. The deputy explained the vehicle was driving recklessly and had no lights on.
The officer found the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop near U.S. Hwy. 27/441 and Miller Street. Another officer arrived on scene and observed the driver, 59-year-old Robert Lee Arthur, standing in front of the other officer’s patrol vehicle. Arthur had already admitted to having two alcoholic beverages, the report said.
One of the officers approached Arthur and observed him to have glassy, bloodshot eyes with constricted pupils. As he spoke, he slurred his speech, had mush mouth and was incoherent at times. The officer also noticed Arthur’s vehicle had visible damage from possibly hitting a tree, and the front tire was flat, the report said.
Based on these observations, the officer believed Arthur was driving while possibly under the influence of alcohol, drugs or other adulterants. He asked Arthur to participate in field sobriety exercises, to which he agreed. During the exercises, he had difficulty following instructions and would start before being told to do so. He did not complete any of the exercises as demonstrated even after the officer confirmed with Arthur that he understood the instructions, the report said.
Arthur’s performance led the officer to conclude that his normal faculties were impaired. While being placed in handcuffs, he became extremely belligerent and started using foul language and making racial remarks toward officers. He also said something about having a medical episode, at which point Lake County Fire Rescue was requested to the scene. Fire personnel evaluated him, and when they finished, he refused transport to the hospital, the report said.
Arthur was subsequently arrested on charge of DUI. He was taken to Lake County Jail with bond set at $1,000.