A Village of Pinellas man was arrested on a drunk driving charge after nearly causing an accident on U.S. Hwy. 441 in Summerfield.
Patrick Joseph Jacques, 30, who lives at 1835 Yearling Way, was driving a blue 2008 Chrysler two-door at about 2:30 a.m. Sunday when he attempted to change lanes and cut off a pickup truck, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. The driver of the pickup had to apply his brakes to avoid a collision.
During a traffic stop, a deputy suspected Jacques had been drinking due to his “bloodshot” eyes and slurred speech, the arrest report said. Jacques was asked if he had been drinking, and said he had, “A few.”
He struggled through field sobriety exercises and refused to provide a breath sample. A criminal history check revealed he had been convicted of drunk driving in 2014 in Maine. In addition, Jacques was placed into a pre-trial intervention program in 2018 after he was caught with cocaine in a school zone in Lady Lake. In 2016, a woman was taken by ambulance to Leesburg Regional Medical Center after her vehicle was struck at Brownwood by a Hyundai Elantra driven by Jacques.
After Sunday’s arrest, Jacques was taken into custody and booked at the Marion County Jail on $2,000 bond.