A sleepy driver was arrested Wednesday on a drunk driving charge on Hwy. 40 in Marion County.
A Marion County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant observed a silver Jeep Grand Cherokee bearing a Georgia tag driving westbound in the 17300 block of east Hwy. 40 and conducted a traffic stop e for failing to maintain its lane, according to an arrest report. A Marion County sheriff’s deputy arrived to the scene as the lieutenant was running the driver, 60-year-old Paul Louis Daughenbaugh of Silver Springs, through FCIC/NCIC. The deputy stood next to Daughenbaugh’s passenger door and observed him dozing off, at which time the deputy knocked on the window to ask Daughenbaugh for his registration. Daughenbaugh unlocked the door and leaned over to open it, then looked through his glove box but could not find his registration even though it was in plain sight.
The deputy could smell a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage from Daughenbaugh’s mouth as he was speaking. Daughenbaugh provided his former Florida address to the lieutenant stating he no longer resided in the state. The deputy made contact with Daughenbaugh at his driver’s side window and asked how much he had to drink, in which Daughenbaugh responded, “Do I need a lawyer?” He then told the deputy that the smell of alcoholic beverage was coming from the cans in his vehicle.
Daughenbaugh agreed to participate in field sobriety exercises, which he failed.
He was found to have multiple suspensions on his driver’s license with the most recent one being in July of 2015. He also had a suspensions for driving under the influence and refusal to submit to breath test.
Daughenbaugh was placed under arrest and was transported to Marion County Jail. At the jail, Daughenbaugh refused to give a breath sample.
He was issued citations for DUI, driving while license suspended or revoked and refusal to submit to breath alcohol test. Bond was set at $7,000.