A Villager has been arrested on a drunk driving charge after a crash near the Morse Gate.
Michael Latourette, 66, who lives on the Historic Side of The Villages, was driving a Ford Mustang when he was involved in the two-vehicle crash at about 8 p.m. Saturday at the intersection of County Road 466 and Morse Boulevard, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
A witness told deputies that Latourette was northbound on Morse Boulevard when he ran a red light and collided with a southbound Hyundai as it turned left from Morse Boulevard. After the collision, the witness ran toward Latourette’s Mustang and found him “unconscious and slumped forward.” EMS Personnel arrived on the scene and treated injuries to his head and left hand. After he got out of the vehicle, he lost his balance and nearly fell over.
The native New Yorker indicated he had been at the Havana Recreation Center. He also said he had been golfing earlier in the day. He admitted he had been drinking.
A cup was found in his vehicle and it contained a liquid that was determined to be liquor.
Deputies invited him to participate in field sobriety exercises.
“I’m gonna pass on that because I already know I had a few too many!” Latourette said.
He agreed provided breath samples which registered .173 and .166 blood alcohol content.
A criminal history check revealed that Latourette has two previous convictions for driving under the influence.
He was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. He was released after posting $5,000 bond.
Both vehicles had to be towed from the scene.