A man was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after he was found asleep behind the wheel at a Leesburg fast food drive-through.
Victor Manuel Hernandez Ramirez, 31, who lives at 2008 Griffin Road, was taken into custody at 12:45 a.m. Saturday when he failed a roadside sobriety test outside a McDonald’s at 1012 N. 14th St.
Police found Hernandez Ramirez and a female passenger passed out with the keys in the ignition, the engine running, and the vehicle in park. There was a strong smell of alcohol in the car and a Corona beer bottle in the center console that was still wet with condensation. After removing the keys from the ignition, an officer had to perform a sternum rub on Hernandez’s chest to wake him up, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Police say his speech was heavily slurred and he seemed confused and disoriented. Patrolmen ordered him to step out of the car three times, but he instead kept trying to put the car in drive, despite repeatedly being told and shown that the keys had been removed. An officer finally reached into the vehicle, removed his seatbelt, pulled him out and handcuffed him.
Hernandez Ramirez was transported to Lake County Jail, where he was kept in custody overnight before being released on $3,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court Aug. 3.
