An 81-year-old Villager was arrested after a fender bender at Pinellas Plaza.
John Joseph Marshall of the Village of Fernandina was driving a vehicle shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday when he hit a car owned by a woman who was shopping inside the Winn-Dixie grocery store, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. It appeared Marshall was going to drive away, but bystanders intervened and insisted he stay until law enforcement arrived on the scene. One of the witnesses told police it appeared Marshall might be intoxicated.
An officer spoke with Marshall, who initially denied he had been drinking. He later said he had consumed a Mike’s Black Cherry alcoholic beverage. The officer noticed that Marshall was “very unsteady.”
Marshall was invited to participate in field sobriety exercises, but he had trouble understanding the instructions despite “several explanations.” He provided breath samples that registered .195 and .181 blood alcohol content.
He was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $500 bond.
