A Mexican driver without a valid driver’s license was arrested and charged with DUI after being pulled over for driving 41 mph over the speed limit on U.S. 441 in Leesburg.
Police observed a dark Chevrolet pickup truck speeding eastbound at around 12:33 a.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department. The vehicle’s speed was measured by radar at 86 mph in a 45-mph zone.
As the officer turned around to stop the truck, he noticed the driver, 29-year-old Sergio Coronado-Quistian, failed to stay in one lane. The officer had to chase Coronado for two miles at speeds of over 100 mph to catch up to him, the report said.
The officer then activated his overhead emergency lights, and Coronado-Quistian slowed down and pulled into an adjacent parking lot before stopping, according to the report.
Coronado-Quistian appeared extremely intoxicated and was difficult to understand when the officer spoke to him, the report said. He was asked to turn off the vehicle and step out, to which he complied. While trying to identify Coronado-Quistian, the officer could only understand his first name and that he did not have a driver’s license.
As they spoke, Coronado-Quistian became annoyed and argumentative. When the officer asked him to participate in field sobriety exercises Coronado-Quistian stated he could not speak English and began speaking in Spanish. He also stated several times he no longer wished to speak with the officer, the report said.
Coronado-Quistian was told to walk back to the officer’s patrol vehicle, at which point he started walking toward the driver’s door of his truck. He was instructed to stop as he tried to reach into the vehicle, the report said.
The officer then attempted to detain him, and Coronado-Quistian stiffened his arm and began trying to pull away, passively resisting arrest. The officer was able to pin him against the side of his truck and handcuff him, according to the report.
Coronado-Quistian was placed under arrest as another law enforcement officer arrived to provide translation as needed. A search of Coronado-Quistian revealed two debit cards bearing his name. He then provided his date of birth, which showed a number assigned outside of Florida and having never been issued a license, the report said.
Coronado-Quistian refused to submit to evidentiary breath tests. Instead, he again stated he did not speak English and would not provide any other statement. He still refused to provide a sample even after the request was translated for him, according to the report.
Coronado-Quistian was charged with DUI, resisting an officer without violence, and operating a motor vehicle without a valid license. He was transported to the Lake County Jail after completing the booking process and released after posting $3,000 bond.
