A woman who crashed into the Village of Linden sign last year has been jailed again after violating her probation.
Dianne Walch Powell, 71, formerly of the Village of Monarch Grove and now living in the housing complex at the Beaumont development in Wildwood, was booked without bond Tuesday at the Sumter County Detention Center.
She got a break last year when a charge of driving under the influence was reduced to a charge of reckless driving. She originally had been charged with driving under the influence. She lost her driver’s license for three months, was placed on probation for six months and ordered to perform 50 hours of community service.
She had been driving a blue Nissan Rogue at about 8 p.m. April 4 when the vehicle was found on Reagan Road near the intersection with Corbin Trail, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. The vehicle had been driven on two flat tires, had a smashed headlight and other damage. Powell said she was heading home after shopping at Publix at Magnolia Plaza. She was “exhibiting slow movements and lethargic speech,” leading a police officer to suspect that Powell had been drinking. A check revealed Powell’s license had been suspended on March 22. She denied any knowledge that her license had been suspended. EMS were summoned to evaluate Powell, and at about the same time Community Watch arrived on the scene and reported damage to the rock wall and lighting at the entrance to the Village of Linden. Damage was estimated at $1,500. An “almost empty bottle of Yellowtail Pinot Grigio wine” was found just behind the driver’s seat of Powell’s vehicle. She was transported to the UF Health-The Villages Hospital freestanding Emergency Room at Brownwood. She refused to provide a breath sample.
