A drunk driving suspect from Mexico was arrested after driving the wrong direction down Main Street in Leesburg.
A Leesburg police officer on Saturday night stopped a white Chevy pickup truck driven by 25-year-old Fernando Ivan Hernandez.
When the officer asked for his driver’s license, Hernandez produced an identification card from Mexico. Hernandez spoke very little English and the officer called for an interpreter. The officer found a Modelo beer which was open in the truck’s center console. Hernandez had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, according to the police report.
Hernandez said he had never been issued a drivers license in Florida. A records check showed no license had ever been issued to him in Florida or any other state.
When questioned by the interpreter, Hernandez claimed he had not been drinking. He was unable to follow directions on how to perform the standardized field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest for driving under the influence and no driver’s license/never had one, failure to yield right of way as well as driving in the wrong lane.
He was taken to the Leesburg Police Department where he gave two breath samples for analysis which showed blood alcohol levels of .209 and .218.
He was booked at the Lake County Jail. He was released after posting $4,500 bond.
