A Eustis woman was arrested for allegedly causing a car collision but hitting the other driver and fleeing when he wanted to call police.
A trooper was dispatched to a hit-and-run crash on State Road 44 at around 1:25 a.m. Wednesday, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. It was reported that one vehicle, the driver of which was later identified as 20-year-old Nina Michele Pruitt, fled east on State Road 44.
Upon arrival, the trooper observed a white Kia Soul with front left corner damage. He was told by a deputy with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office that the other vehicle involved was found down the road. The trooper proceeded to speak with the male victim about the crash, the report said.
The victim stated he was headed west on State Road 44 when he saw the other involved vehicle traveling north on State Road 44B. The vehicle made a left turn and then an abrupt wide right turn onto State Road 44. It was subsequently headed east in the westbound lane, the report said.
The victim came to a stop in his lane where the vehicle collied with his Kia Soul. The vehicle’s front left corner area hit the Kia Soul’s front left corner area. Pruitt asked the victim not to call the police and offered him $3,000, her name and phone number, the report said.
The victim told Pruitt that he was calling the police, to which she struck him in the back of the head with her fist. She then fled the scene eastbound on State Road 44. The LCSO filed charges for battery, the report said.
The trooper left the victim and drove down to where Pruitt was stopped by deputies. She drove a white Subaru Outback that had front left corner damage which was consistent with the collision. He made contact with her, who according to the victim was the only occupant in the vehicle at the time of the collision, the report said.
While speaking to Pruitt, the trooper immediately smelled a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her mouth and face area. Her eyes were red and watery, her complexion was flushed red, her speech was slurred, and she continuously leaned on vehicles to balance herself. As he looked inside the Subaru to make sure no airbags had deployed, he could smell the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage, the report said.
Based on the investigation and physical evidence on scene, the trooper concluded Pruitt was traveling north on State Road 44B. She made a left turn on State Road 44 then abruptly turned right where she went east in the west travel lane. The victim was traveling west and came to a stop to avoid the collision at which time they collided, the report said.
The trooper had deputies take Pruitt to the Circle K parking lot for a safer spot. He explained to her that he had finished the crash investigation and was beginning a criminal investigation into her driving under the influence. She was read her rights and asked if she would be willing to attempt field sobriety exercises, and she agreed to do so, the report said.
During the exercises, Pruitt would walk off without being told to do so. She could not listen to instructions or comprehend what the trooper was telling her to do. She also had trouble maintaining the starting positions and refused to try, the report said.
The victim was escorted to the parking lot as Pruitt attempted the exercises, and he positively identified her as the driver who struck him and fled, the report said.
Based on Pruitt’s inability to do the exercises and multiple other DUI indicators, the trooper explained to her that she was being arrested. She was placed in the back of his patrol car and read implied consent, all while she screamed and cursed in his face. She refused to provide a breath sample, the report said.
Pruitt was charged with DUI (damage to property or person of another), hit-and-run (leave scene of crash involving damage to property), possession of liquor by person under 21 years of age and battery. After being medically cleared at UF Health, she was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $4,000 bond.