An 82-year-old Villager will lose his driver’s license as the result of an arrest on a drunk driving charge last year after leaving Tierra Del Sol Bar & Grill.
Larry Van Parsons of the Village of Caroline was apparently heading home shortly before 11 p.m. Nov. 20 when he had trouble with the entrance gate at Canal Street and Stillwater Trail, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. When a deputy arrived, Parsons’ blue Toyota was parked at the gate with its hazard lights flashing. The deputy tried to speak with Parsons, who had trouble with his windows. He ultimately rolled down the vehicle’s rear passenger window to speak to the deputy. Parsons said he was “on his way home from Tierra Del Sol where he had a few drinks before heading home,” the report said. He said he’d consumed two “Ultra lite beers.” He told the deputy he suffers from heart issues and high blood pressure. Parsons struggled through field sobriety exercises and provided breath samples that registered .139 and .142 blood alcohol content.
Last month in Sumter County Court, Parsons pleaded no contest to a charge of driving under the influence. He will lose his driver’s license for six months, has been placed on probation for one year and has been ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.