TAVARES, Florida—A Eustis man who was driving under the influence took out a $50,000 electrical box for a traffic light, crashed through a guardrail, fled the scene, and had someone coming to pick him up at the next intersection when Eustis Police caught up with him, according to an arrest affidavit.
Shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday, Tavares Police responded to the intersection of U.S. Highway 441 and David Walker Drive on a report of a crash and later met with Eustis Police who had the vehicle responsible for the crash stopped at the next intersection near Sonny’s BBQ, according to an arrest affidavit.
An EPD officer told the TPD officer she believed the driver, Sean Donegal Pearce, 25, was under the influence due to his glassy bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and slow movements. The TPD officer could smell alcohol on Pearce as she spoke to him, she noted in the affidavit.
Pearce openly admitted he had been drinking and told police he is not a frequent drinker. He agreed to perform field sobriety exercises and struggled with completing them and was arrested for DUI and taken into custody. He was transported to the Lake County Jail, where he provided two breath samples that registered at .13 and .12, well over the legal limit. Pearce was released from LCJ on $2,500 bond. He was also ticketed for leaving the scene of a crash with property damage.
