A Summerfield man was arrested for driving under the influence when officers found him slumped over the wheel with an empty bottle of Malibu in the backseat.
Officers responded to an accident involving 20-year-old Zachary Paul Young in the area of 904 CR 470, Okahumpka, around 3:20 a.m. Friday, according to an arrest report from the Leesburg Police Department.
Upon arrival, they found a black Nissan pulled off the side of the onramp with Young slumped over the steering wheel. The vehicle was still on, and the keys were in the ignition. Further investigation determined Young had not been in an accident but had rather veered off the side of the road without hitting anything, the report said.
The officers tried to wake him up by banging on the front windows multiple times. He was unresponsive at first but eventually woke up to lower the driver’s window. He then followed their instructions, turning the vehicle off and stepping out, the report said.
Young told them he was okay, during which they noticed his speech slurred. He also had glassy, watery and bloodshot eyes with constricted pupils, and his person smelled of alcohol. He was unsteady on his feet and swayed while standing, the report said.
The officers saw an empty bottle of Malibu rum in his backseat as Young recalled traveling to Ocala from Orlando. He had black “x” marks on his hands, which he stated came from a club in Orlando earlier in the night. He later added that the only alcohol he drank throughout the night was two sips of a beverage from his friend at the club, the report said.
Young subsequently agreed to participate in field sobriety exercises. His performance, including using his arms for balance, led the officers to conclude he was under the influence. He ultimately provided breath samples of 0.106 and 0.109, the report said.
The New York native was arrested on charge of DUI and transported to the Lake County Jail. He was released after posting $1,000 bond.