A Gainesville man was arrested for driving under the influence after poorly performing sobriety exercises and the discovery of a bottle of vodka in his vehicle.
An officer observed 50-year-old Brian Lan Ray speeding in a red passenger car as he headed south on U.S. Hwy. 27 near Griffin Avenue around 12:25 a.m. Tuesday, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
After catching up, the officer used radar to determine the vehicle was going 67 mph in a 50-mph zone. He then conducted a traffic stop at U.S. Hwy 27 and County Road 25A in Fruitland Park. Ray had trouble explaining where he lived, so the officer requested backup to gather more information, the report said.
They noticed Ray’s eyes were bloodshot, watery and glassy. His pupils were constricted, and he avoided eye contact. When asked to shut off his vehicle, he became irate, and the officers could smell alcohol on his person, the report said.
He subsequently agreed to participate in field sobriety exercises. He swayed through the first one and performed so poorly on the next two that he could not finish them. His actions led the officers to conclude that he was under the influence, the report said.
Before having Ray’s vehicle towed, the officers took an inventory of its contents. An off-color gold cap sat in the driver’s seat next to a 200mL bottle of Skol vodka hidden under a towel in the passenger seat. The bottle was nearly empty, and the bottle ring at the top matched the cap, the report said.
The cup holder contained a red restaurant-style cup with soda and ice that smelled like alcohol. There were empty Pepsi cans and a half full Pepsi can next to the cup, the report said.
Ray later refused to provide a breath sample. A check of his driving history revealed he had done so before on Sept. 17, 2023, in Alachua County. He also had a prior DUI with property damage on July 12, 2024, in Alachua County, the report said.
He was arrested on charges of DUI (second offense) and refusal to submit breath (second offense). He was booked at Lake County Jail and released after posting $3,000 bond.