A Villager at the wheel of a Mercedes was jailed after driving in the wrong direction on State Road 44.
Kathryn Wallace Chandler, 74, who lives in the Quail Ridge Villas in the Village of Briar Meadow, was at the wheel of the black 2013 Mercedes shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday when she was traveling eastbound in the westbound lane of traffic, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
“Several vehicles driving westbound on State Road 44 had to move out of the lane to avoid hitting her,” the report said.
During a traffic stop at Lake Deaton Plaza, Chandler said she was “coming from a party” where she had been dancing. The Pennsylvania native said she was heading home and thought she was on U.S. 301. She said she “does not see very well at night.”
She stumbled during field sobriety exercises and tried singing the alphabet in order to the be able to recite it correctly. A half-empty bottle of Pinot Grigio wine was found in her vehicle. She provided three breath samples that registered .210, .177 and .186 blood alcohol content. A criminal history check revealed she had been convicted of drunk driving in 2013 in Sarasota.
Chandler was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence. She was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $1,000 bond.
