A Eustis man was arrested for driving under the influence when his speeding and dangerous driving patterns caught law enforcement’s attention.
Deputies patrolling State Road 46 near Buttercup Lane observed a vehicle traveling westbound at a high rate of speed around 8:17 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. The driver, later identified as 38-year-old Ernest Alfred, was found to be going about 87 mph in a 45-mph zone.
Deputies made a U-turn and proceeded westbound in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop. They spotted the vehicle turning onto U.S. Hwy. 441 northbound from State Road 46, still speeding. The vehicle then stopped at a red light at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 441 and Wolf Branch Road. Once it turned green, the vehicle spun its tires without going forward, the report said.
Deputies activated their emergency lights and siren to stop the vehicle which at that point had traveled to the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 441 and Country Club Boulevard. While trying to conduct a traffic stop, the vehicle was observed swerving halfway into the left lane from the right lane, forcing another vehicle into the median. The vehicle ultimately pulled off the road at U.S. Hwy. 441 and County Road 44, the report said.
Alfred was commanded several times to put the vehicle in park and turn it off due to the observed driving pattern. Once deputies approached the vehicle, they identified Alfred using his license. He became very argumentative when deputies requested this information along with his registration and proof of insurance, the report said.
Deputies next asked Alfred to step out of the vehicle due to the suspicion that he was under the influence. While he was walking to the front of one of the deputies’ patrol vehicles, he stumbled once. The odor of alcohol came from his breath as he was interviewed, and he continued to ask the same questions and make the same statement several times.
Alfred was subsequently transported to Lake County Jail where he was given the chance to provide a breath sample. However, he refused even after being read implied consent. This was his second time doing so, as he declined to provide a sample in his guilty DUI conviction from April 2023, as well. He was made aware that failure to provide a breath sample was an additional charge prior to refusing, the report said.
Additionally, one of the deputies completed a tow sheet for the vehicle while at the scene. While conducting an inventory of the vehicle, he found a small amount of green leafy substance indicative of marijuana. He found a roach with marijuana and a wrapper in the vehicle’s sunglasses compartment and a small amount of marijuana in the trunk. The marijuana in the trunk was within a diaper that was within a sock within a black bag within a backpack, the report said.
Alfred was charged with DUI (second offense), possession of marijuana (less than 20 grams) and refusal to submit test of breath (second or subsequent offense). The native of Haiti was released from jail after posting $4,000 bond.
