A Leesburg woman was charged with habitually driving without a license after she reportedly knocked down a sign with her vehicle.
A Leesburg police officer responded to the intersection of Moss and Center streets after a caller reported that her neighbor had struck a pole. The officer arrived and saw the downed red and white “No Parking Any Time” sign, according to the police report.
The officer spoke with the driver – Jessica Francine Shrimplin, 33, of 311 N. Moss St. – and asked if she had any recollection of striking the sign. She said she didn’t see the sign and it had been down for several days. Shrimplin said she was driving her boyfriend and had come from that direction, but she denied striking the pole, the report said.
The officer looked at Shrimplin’s vehicle and saw two scratches on the left side, as well as damage underneath the bumper. The metal underneath appeared bent and corresponded with the scratches, according to the report.
A neighbor told the officer that Shrimplin knocked down the sign while she was driving, but the neighbor did not want to complete a sworn written statement, the report said.
A driver’s license database search revealed Shrimplin’s license was suspended indefinitely in April 2009, July 2010, and January 2014. Shrimplin was labeled “habitual” in November 2014 and December 2018, according to the report.
Shrimplin is being held in the Lake County Jail on $2,000 bond and will appear in Lake County Court on Sept. 19.
