A Holiday Inn Express guest was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after crashing into a tree.
Benjamin Collins, 42, who was driving with an Iowa driver’s license, drove back to the hotel parking lot at about 3 p.m. Wednesday after crashing into a tree and fleeing the scene, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Collins was followed back to the hotel by a Lake County sheriff’s deputy, who contacted local law enforcement.
Deputies noticed that Collins had eyelids that were “slightly droopy.” He was also unsteady on his feet.
He struggled through field sobriety exercises. Collins was transported to the UF Health-The Villages Hospital freestanding Emergency Room at Brownwood to be checked out in connection with the accident. While at the ER, he provided a urine sample.
He was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $1,500 bond.
