A Leesburg woman classified as a habitual traffic offender was arrested for driving without a license and speeding by almost 20 miles per hour.
A deputy spotted the driver of a blue Mitsubishi SUV, later identified as 38-year-old Kristine Dominique Rowland, speeding toward him near Villa City and Arthur Road in Groveland around 9:52 a.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. Radar displayed the vehicle’s speed as 63 mph in a 45-mph zone.
The deputy conducted a U-turn on his motorcycle and activated its emergency lights for a traffic stop on the SUV. Once he dismounted and approached the driver’s window, he spoke with Rowland. He explained the reason for the stop before asking for her license, registration and proof of insurance, the report said.
Rowland provided her Florida ID, and when asked if she had a valid driver’s license, she replied that she did not. According to her, she received a DUI in 2019, and her license had been suspended since then. She was driving to a meeting in Minneola as part of the stipulations of her DUI, the report said.
The deputy returned to his motorcycle to check Rowland’s information and learned she had a valid ID card only. He also discovered she was a habitual offender as of Jan. 22 (revoked for 60 months) and had already received notice of her suspension through a court order, the report said.
A complete list of her active suspensions included cancellations, revocations and suspensions dating from Dec. 2021 through Jan. 2024. She also had one conviction for DUI and three prior convictions for driving while license suspended, the report said.
Due to this information, the deputy went back to Rowland’s vehicle and requested she step away from the driver’s seat. She complied and was placed into custody, the report said.
Rowland was charged with driving while license suspended/revoked for DUI (habitual offender) and issued a citation for speeding. The Illinois native was transported to Lake County Jail with bond set at $10,000.
