A Leesburg man who was arrested at Singletary Park showed signs of opioid use and was taken to UF Health-Leesburg Hospital for treatment.
An officer responded to Singletary Park, located at 1902 S. 14th Street, regarding a traffic accident where one of the vehicles involved, a black Ford F150, had relocated to the park after the accident around 3:38 p.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Upon arrival, the officer contacted the driver of the truck, identified as 42-year-old David John Pociask, who was still in the driver’s seat and in actual physical control of the vehicle. He was visibly confused and sweating profusely. As he spoke, he was incoherent and had a raspy voice, the report said.
Pociask stated he was unaware of what was going on and asked if there had been an accident. When the officer asked about his involvement in the accident, he stated that he did not know he was involved. The officer next asked why he was parked in front of the boat ramp blocking other vehicles to which he stated he did not know where he was parked, just that he knew there was an accident and pulled over, the report said.
Pociask then began reaching around his vehicle for unknown items. Officers subsequently asked him to turn off the vehicle and step out. As he did so, he was shaking and excessively sweating, stumbling as he stepped onto the pavement, the report said.
After getting out of the vehicle, Pociask stood facing the interior of the vehicle, and officers had to ask him to face the other way toward them. Officers noticed that he had a clear plastic item in his mouth as he spoke to them. He was asked to spit it out and what it was, to which he responded that it was just plastic and that he liked chewing on it, the report said.
One of the officers asked Pociask if he had any injuries to which he stated he did not, but EMS was on the way due to his behavior. Meanwhile, he walked around his vehicle to inspect the damage. He swayed and would stop to close his eyes while standing still before continuing to walk around. As he walked, his body appeared stiff, the report said.
Pociask at that point advised he was in an accident but was unaware where it happened. He stated that he was on the way to his mother’s residence southbound on South 14th Street when he knew he hit his front driver’s side bumper. There was extensive damage to the rear bumper of his vehicle which the officer had to bring to Pociask’s attention. He did not have any recollection of being rear-ended at that time, only stating that he then remembered an accident happening, the report said.
At about 3:30 p.m., EMS arrived on scene and evaluated Pociask. He did not meet criteria for being taken to the hospital on a mandatory basis, and he signed to refuse to be transported for medical treatment. EMS also advised that Pociask had pin-point pupils, was abnormally sweating and showing signs of opioid use, the report said.
After having been evaluated by EMS for any possible injuries and following the crash investigation, one of the officers informed Pociask that they were “changing hats” because the crash investigation was finished. They were going to be conducting a DUI investigation to confirm his ability to operate a motor vehicle, the report said.
Pociask then agreed to perform field sobriety exercises. During the investigation, he stated that he did not take any medication or any drugs. He did advise that he was in a detox program for previous drug-related issues, the report said.
Following the DUI investigation on scene, the officer found probable cause to arrest Pociask. He was placed into handcuffs at about 4:45 p.m., although his arms and hands were stiff and rigid to the touch, and he moved despite showing no signs of resisting. He was then placed in the back of a patrol vehicle to be transported to the LPD for booking, the report said.
While at LPD, Pociask twice refused to submit to a urine test despite being read implied consent. He also requested a lawyer before further questioning or testing. As a result, officers did not read him his rights and did not request further tests, the report said.
However, while still at the booking facility around 5:30 p.m., Pociask became nearly nonverbal and physically stiff. He was not responding to officers trying to get his attention but was instead slowly opening and closing his eyes. His arms and hands became stiff, showing signs of rigidity as they were held up near his chest and face, the report said.
An officer requested EMS due to Pociask being mostly unresponsive and having shallow breathing. After being placed in an ambulance, EMS members administered a dose of Naloxone Narcan, to which he had a slow but immediate reaction as his body relaxed and breathing became deeper. He was also more conscious, the report said.
Pociask was transported to UF Health Leesburg Hospital, located at 600 E. Dixie Avenue, for medical treatment. Hospital staff advised that he was treated with more doses of Naloxone that continued to make him more responsive, showing a positive reaction to treatment. While he was being monitored after being moved to a hospital ER room, he was very incoherent and consistently showed signs of rigidity in his arms and hands while sleeping, causing his arms to be elevated and in abnormal positions, the report said.
The Illinois native was ultimately charged with DUI and taken to LPD after being medically cleared. He was released after posting $2,500 bond.
