A Wildwood man was arrested for driving under the influence after swerving all over the road on the way to work at a diner near Brownwood.
An officer responded to a reckless driver, later identified as 36-year-old Joshua Alan Ryder, traveling southbound on U.S. 301 from County Road 466 around 7:20 a.m. Saturday, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department. The officer spotted a beige 1993 Chevrolet RV passing through the intersection with Pepper Tree Lane near PepperTree Apartments.
He proceeded to maneuver his way through traffic to catch up, noticing how the vehicle encroached into other lanes twice. It also veered off the road into the unpaved center median, which kicked up dirt and dust. The vehicle aggressively swerved to correct itself in such a way that the shift of weight was visible during the swerve and the overcorrection, the report said.
Once the officer was behind Ryder, he continued failing to stay in his lane and almost hit another vehicle next to it despite going about 10 miles under the speed limit. The officer subsequently initiated a traffic stop as the vehicle veered into another lane and crossed over into the left-turn lane. It then stopped at a red light on North Main Street and Cleveland Avenue, during which it almost side-swiped a white SUV already at the light, the report said.
The officer turned on his emergency lights again when the light turned green, but the vehicle aggressively swerved into the other lane and then back into its own. It next made a left turn in front of oncoming traffic before coming to a final stop on Curry Street, the report said.
Ryder explained his behavior as being tired from just waking up. He was driving from Ocklawaha to his job as a cook and manager at Darrell’s Diner near Brownwood Square. He was supposed to be at work at 5 a.m., and he was running late, the report said.
During this conversation, the officer noticed Ryder looked sloppy, with old stains on his pants and shirt. He had unusual pinpoint pupils, and his eyes darted around. His speech was slow and mumbled, as well, indicative of narcotic use, the report said.
Due to this, he was asked to participate in field sobriety exercises. His performance, including using his arms for balance, led the officer to conclude he was under the influence. He later agreed to give a sample of his urine to test for any chemicals or controlled substances, the report said.
Ryder added that he woke up that morning at 6:15 after going to bed the night prior at 10 p.m. He denied drinking alcohol, taking narcotics or taking any form of medication. He reiterated that he was just tired, saying he worked a double shift the day before from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., the report said.
He was arrested on a charge of DUI and booked at the Sumter County Detention Center. He was released after posting $1,000 bond.