A Villager got a break in court after an arrest for driving under the influence when he was found passed out in his golf cart.
Scott James Ras, 60, of the Village of Poinciana, pleaded no contest Jan. 4 in Sumter County Court to a charge of reckless driving which had been reduced from a charge of driving under the influence. He has been placed on probation for six months.
The Villages Public Safety Department found the golf cart in the early morning hours of Sept. 16 in the roadway at Golden Ridge Drive and Williamsburg Avenue in the Village of Poinciana. The golf cart was running, with its lights on and parked in front of a driveway. EMS personnel reported Ras was “talking gibberish and kept repeating himself,” according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. A deputy arrived on the scene and Ras indicated he wanted to go home. He said he had been at Lake Sumter Landing. His speech was slurred and he had to hang onto his golf cart for balance.
He refused to participate in field sobriety exercises and would not provide a breath sample. A criminal history check revealed that Ras has three previous drunk driving convictions in New York.
