A Fruitland Park man was arrested for DUI after speeding and hitting a curb within view of an officer.
An officer observed 39-year-old William Arthur O’Brien speeding in a silver SUV on State Road 25 at 1:20 a.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. Radar confirmed he was going 72 mph in a 50-mph zone.
As the officer approached the vehicle, it crossed the solid fog line and hit the curb before correcting back into its lane. This prompted the officer to turn on his emergency lights, to which the vehicle made a right turn and pulled over on Register Road. He then asked O’Brien for his driver’s license, the report said.
O’Brien fumbled for his wallet and took out everything until he found the license. He had bloodshot, glassy eyes and slurred speech as he did so. The interior of his vehicle smelled of alcohol, an odor that grew stronger when he spoke, the report said.
He denied having anything to drink that night and claimed he hit the curb because he got confused about where his turn was. The officer still asked him to step out of the vehicle, but he was unsteady on his feet. He had to use the door for support as he exited, the report said.
When asked to participate in field sobriety exercises, O’Brien stated, “Absolutely not.” He later refused to provide breath samples, either, the report said.
A subsequent inventory search of his vehicle yielded a Yeti-style cup with ice and the smell of alcohol. The report noted that it was initially seen in the center console and had been moved to the floorboard on the passenger side prior to O’Brien being asked to step out of the vehicle. There were also two handguns found that were submitted to the FPPD for safekeeping.
Additionally, a check of O’Brien’s criminal history determined he had no previous DUI convictions. He did have a prior refusal to submit to DUI testing in 2018, the report said.
O’Brien was arrested on charges of DUI and refusal to submit to DUI testing. He was also issued citations for failure to drive in a single lane and unlawful speed. He was booked at Lake County Jail and released after posting $3,000 bond.