A resident of Spruce Creek South was arrested after crashing a golf cart near Walmart with a blood alcohol level four times the legal limit.
Deputies got a call regarding 73-year-old Jane Heroux, who seemed to be intoxicated, driving a red golf cart in Summerfield at 6:10 p.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. A few minutes later, they got another call saying she crashed less than half a mile north of Walmart, located at 17961 S U.S. Hwy. 441.
A deputy later found her sitting on the grass next to her golf cart, which had a broken front axle and destroyed tires on the right side. It looked like she misjudged a left turn and struck a tall curb on the right side, the report said.
When speaking to her, he noticed she had extremely bloodshot and watery eyes. She could not focus very well on the deputy or what he asked her. He wanted to know if she was OK, and she stated she was, just a little drunk, the report said.
Heroux advised that she drank wine earlier but could not say when that was. She stated she had two glasses of wine yet contradicted herself for the rest of the conversation. Her answers to the deputy’s questions often did not make any sense due to her mumbling, slurring her words and just giving nonsensical responses, the report said.
The deputy then asked if she had her license and could give it to him. She said yes to both but stared blankly at him. He had to remind her that he needed her license before she finally went through her sling bag for it, the report said.
He immediately saw her license through a clear sleeve in the bag, but she went through several other cards rather than give it to him. She first handed him a printed motorcycle insurance card and a AAA roadside assistance card, neither of which looked anything like a license. She had to ask again what he wanted until she handed him the license at long last, the report said.
Heroux was next asked to participate in field sobriety exercises. She agreed, but had great difficulty trying to stand up. She swayed back and forth, and once she actually did stand, she took one half-step only to fall backward onto her buttocks in the grass. The deputy decided to join her on the ground to do the first exercise sitting down, the report said.
He then walked her over to his patrol vehicle and helped her into a sitting position on the bumper to recite the alphabet. She stated her highest level of education was a high school diploma before skipping letters “H” through “V” in her recitation, claiming she did not learn that. For the rest of the exercises, she did not follow instructions and swayed dangerously, the report said.
Heroux’s performance led the deputy to conclude she was under the influence, and he arrested her for it. A subsequent search of her golf cart revealed three unopened Black Box personal cartons of wine in the passenger area. Each carton advertised on the side that it was equal to 3.4 glasses of wine, the report said.
Heroux ultimately provided two breath samples of 0.290 and 0.296, which was almost four times the legal limit, the report said.
The Massachusetts native was charged with DUI (damage to property or person of another) and transported to Marion County Jail. She was released after posting $2,000 bond.