A Leesburg man was arrested for drunk driving after admitting to being too intoxicated to drive straight home from the Dirty South Saloon in Leesburg.
Police spotted 37-year-old Jonathan David Pearson sleeping slumped over the steering wheel of a white Jeep on 1349 Bentley Road at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
The officer knocked on the vehicle’s front window to gain Pearson’s attention, and he eventually responded. He appeared to be confused and had vomit on his beard. He also had glassy bloodshot eyes, the report said.
Pearson attempted to speak with officers while the window was up, but he later turned the vehicle on and rolled the driver-side window down, the report said. He was then asked to exit the vehicle and walk to the front of the officer’s patrol car. As he did so, he swayed and staggered.
The officer proceeded to explain that he would be conducting a DUI investigation, and he asked Pearson to perform field sobriety exercises, the report said. Pearson refused to participate and stated, “I know I’m going to fail.”
Instead, Pearson advised he was drinking at the Dirty South Saloon, located at 1850 U.S. Hwy. 441. He stated he began to drive from the saloon to his home when he realized he was intoxicated and pulled over to the side of the road. He planned on sleeping off the alcohol before continuing his drive home, the report said.
At the end of the officer’s investigation, Pearson was arrested and charged with DUI despite refusing to perform a breath test. The New Jersey native was transported to the Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,000 bond. A court date has been set for Aug. 1.
