A Clermont man was arrested for DUI after running into some bushes outside a movie theatre during a potential overdose.
An officer on patrol found a dark Buick propped up over a curb in the parking lot of Epic Theatres of Clermont, located at 2505 U.S. Hwy. 27, around 2:40 a.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Clermont Police Department. The driver, 28-year-old Brandon Christopher Vachon, had run the vehicle into a set of bushes.
As the officer pulled up to the vehicle, Vachon got out of the driver’s seat with the engine still running. He walked over to the officer with unsteady steps, unable to keep a straight line. He began to talk, and the officer noticed slurred speech, bloodshot eyes with droopy eyelids, swaying, unusual and extreme body odor, profuse sweating and muscle spasms in his face, the report said.
The officer suspected Vachon was under the influence and asked how he had gotten into this situation. Vachon stated he fell asleep while driving after watching Obsession at the theatre. However, the movie was at 10:30 p.m., and it was almost 3 a.m. He believed he had been on the curb for only 10 minutes, the report said.
After explaining his concerns, the officer asked Vachon to participate in field sobriety exercises. He agreed, but he fidgeted and did not follow instructions. His performance led the officer to conclude he was indeed under the influence of an intoxicating substance, the report said.
Vachon was subsequently arrested and brought to the CPD for a breath test. During a 20-minute observation period, he began falling asleep, fell out of his chair, drooled on himself and blew bubbles with his saliva while sleeping. His breath samples came back as 0.000g/210L, leading the officer to believe his impairment was narcotic-related, the report said.
He then agreed to provide a urine sample. When he stood up and walked over to the toilet, his knees buckled, and he almost fell asleep while standing multiple times. The officer grew concerned Vachon might be experiencing the start of an overdose and took him to South Lake Hospital to be evaluated, the report said.
Vachon fell asleep again while in the ER, and hospital staff were unable to wake him up despite opening his eyes, shining lights in them, yelling his name and shaking him. They administered a dose of Narcan to counteract his potential drug overdose. Hospital staff later stated they would be taking a blood sample, which the officer would need to subpoena, the report said.
The Illinois native was ultimately arrested for DUI and booked at the Lake County Jail. He was released after posting $1,000 bond.