A Leesburg woman with two children in her car was arrested after other motorists called 911 to report she was driving recklessly along Grays Airport Road in Lady Lake.
Lakrystle Ashriel Bowers, 34, of 1006 Nebraska St., was charged with DUI and two counts of child neglect. A Lake County sheriff’s deputy pulled her over in Fruitland Park on Sunday afternoon after two calls came in reporting a vehicle crossing the double yellow multiple times and swerving into the grass and oncoming traffic, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputy observed two small children in the back seat and immediately noticed alcohol on Bowers’ breath. When asked if she had been drinking, Bowers said she had not been and offered to perform field sobriety exercises. However, she had a difficult time getting out of her vehicle and had trouble standing on her own. After Bowers nearly fell into the road while trying to walk a straight line, the deputy determined she was too intoxicated to finish the exercises, the report said.
During the exercises, the deputy was informed by dispatch that Bowers had an active warrant for DUI with special conditions that she may not consume or possess alcohol and she may not operate a motor vehicle. Â She was placed under arrest and taken to the Lake County Jail, according to the report.
At the jail, Bowers appeared to have a medical episode or possible seizure. Medical staff did not believe she was having a legitimate emergency but couldn’t properly evaluate her due to her thrashing around and hitting her face on the floor, which caused minor bleeding. Bowers was taken to the hospital, where she was evaluated and cleared by medical personnel, the report said.
Back at the jail, Bowers refused to give a breath sample and said she was entering another medical episode, but she appeared OK as soon as the conversation with the deputy was over. Bowers is being held on $5,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in Lake County Court on Nov. 28.
