A Eustis man who drank half a bottle of watermelon vodka after a fight with his wife was arrested after he reportedly struck multiple vehicles without stopping.
John Tyler Blair, 27, of 1144 Dolphin Lane, was charged with DUI and leaving the scene of an accident. A Eustis police offer was dispatched to Blair’s residence at around 6:30 p.m. Thursday after a report of a driver striking two vehicles and then parking in the driveway, according to the arrest report.
Upon arrival, the officer saw a red car in the driveway with front-end damage and the air bags deployed. One neighbor said the driver entered the residence after parking, while another said he was outside a home across the street. The officer went across the street and found the driver – later identified as Blair – on the ground and crying. Blair told the officer he was going through a lot, the report said.
After being read his Miranda warning, Blair told the officer he and his wife had gotten into an argument over her wanting to move to New York. Blair said he became upset and started drinking what he described as watermelon vodka. Blair was very cooperative and transparent while talking to the officer, and he said he was aware that he struck a vehicle, according to the report.
Asked why he left the scene of an accident, Blair said he was drunk and asked the officer why he would stop. Asked how much alcohol he had consumed, Blair said he drank about half of a $13 bottle. His speech was slurred and he became belligerent. His eyes were glassy and red. Throughout the conversation, Blair said he thought he only struck one vehicle, the report said.
The officer spoke with Blair’s wife, who confirmed the two had been fighting and at one point, Blair grabbed her to pull him towards him during the discussion. Her arms were slightly red. Blair’s wife said the children weren’t present during the incident, according to the report.
The officer went to the scene of the accident, where he observed several damaged vehicles parked in front of their driveways. After failing a series of field sobriety exercises, Blair was taken to the Lake County Jail, where he submitted breath samples that resulted in readings of .198 and .188 – more than twice the legal limit, the report said.
Blair was released on $2,000 bond and will appear in Lake County Court on May 2.
