A Properties of The Villages sales representative was arrested on a drunk driving charge after a traffic crash.
Robert Bradley Bickel, 58, who lives in the Perry Villas near the Eisenhower Recreation Center, was driving a white passenger car at about 9 p.m. Sunday when he was involved in a single-vehicle crash at Bailey Trail and Buena Vista Boulevard, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. His speech was slurred and he was unsteady on his feet. His car keys were on the hood of his vehicle.
The Ohio native was invited to participate in field sobriety exercises, some of which took place at the nearby Lake Miona Recreation Center parking lot. He missed the heel-to-toe requirement “on every step” and had difficulty keeping his balance during other exercises. He provided breath samples that measured .169 and .167 blood alcohol content.
Bickel, who goes by “Brad Bickel” in his biography on The Villages website, states in the bio that he moved to The Villages to be closer to his parents, who moved to Florida’s Friendliest Hometown in 2011. The bio also indicates he grew up in northeast Ohio, where he obtained a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Akron and later earned an MBA from Cleveland State University.
He was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $1,000 bond.
