A Sanford man was arrested after trying to swap seats with a passenger when he was stopped without a license.
A trooper was finishing up a traffic stop on the left shoulder of State Road 429 NB in Sorrento when a red Hyundai Veloster sped by at 6:10 p.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. The driver, 20-year-old Nikolas Marc Lima, was in the inside lane but did not move over or slow down as required by law.
The trooper then began to head north to overtake the vehicle. Once behind it. He turned on his emergency lights to conduct another traffic stop. The vehicle continued to travel for about a mile without stopping or yielding, the report said.
The trooper thought this was suspicious since Lima had ample opportunity and room to safely pull over. As the vehicle continued, it came to a sudden and abrupt stop on the right shoulder near Mile Marker 48. There was unusual and excessive movement from within the vehicle at that point, the report said.
While approaching the vehicle, the trooper saw Lima quickly move across from the driver’s seat to the backseat. The female passenger tried to get into the driver’s seat. Lima was ultimately removed from the vehicle and detained, the report said.
Lima admitted he did not have a driver’s license, which was why he tried to deceive law enforcement by switching seats. A check of his information confirmed he did not have a license and had only been issued an ID card, the report said.
Lima was arrested on charges of operate motor vehicle without valid license and resist officer (obstruct without violence). He was transported to Lake County Jail and released after posting $1,500 bond.