A Leesburg man was arrested for driving with a suspended license to allegedly test drive his wife’s van and check for problems.
A trooper observed the driver of a silver Honda van, later identified as 39-year-old Eugene William Root, speeding on County Road 452 at 5:30 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. Radar confirmed the van to be going 70 miles per hour in a posted 55-mph zone.
The trooper turned around to overtake the vehicle and activated his emergency lights and siren. He pulled over the vehicle on the right shoulder of the road facing south. He then approached Root, explained the reason for the stop and asked for his license, registration and insurance, the report said.
Root stated he did not have a license but was driving his wife’s van. He was test driving it to see if he could find a problem with it. The trooper went back to his patrol vehicle and ran his information through dispatch, learning he was a habitual traffic offender as of Jan. 4, 2022, for five years, the report said.
Root was arrested on charge of driving while license suspended (habitual offender). He was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $2,500 bond.