An Orlando woman was arrested for driving under the influence after blaming her reckless driving on poor decisions made during a bad breakup.
A deputy responded to State Road 50 and Southeast 52nd Street in Webster regarding a reckless driver, later identified as 33-year-old Paloma Isabella Lovato, around 10:50 p.m. Thursday, according to an arrest report from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office.
The vehicle was described as a black SUV traveling westbound from the intersection. The caller saw it swerve from lane to lane, slam on the brakes, run a red light while passing other vehicles, and drive off the road, the report said.
Once in the area, the deputy saw a black SUV make a U-turn in the middle of State Road 50 near County Road 751. This forced traffic behind it to slam on their brakes and take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision. The vehicle then sped away, driving off the road and failing to stay in its lane, the report said.
The vehicle re-entered the roadway but continued to swerve all over the road. Again, it exited the eastbound travel lane and began traveling off-road, almost losing control, hitting trees or becoming airborne in the process. At that point, the deputy stopped the vehicle near the intersection with County Road 272, the report said.
Lovato struggled to get out of her vehicle by pushing the door open. She was unsteady on her feet, and her breath smelled strongly of alcohol when she spoke. She told law enforcement that she was going through a bad breakup, which led to her making poor decisions, the report said.
She also denied taking drugs or alcohol despite her slurred speech. However, a search of her vehicle yielded one empty 750mL bottle of Woodrow Reserve 90 proof whiskey on the passenger side of the floorboard. Another of the same bottle was a third of the way full in the passenger seat beside an empty single-serve bottle of Tito’s vodka, the report said.
The deputy subsequently transported Lovato to the Sumter County Detention Center to perform field sobriety exercises. She started by swaying in a circular motion and continued to sway throughout the exercises. She did not follow instructions, and her performance led the deputy to conclude she was under the influence, the report said.
Lovato later provided breath samples of 0.368 and 0.364 blood alcohol content. She refused to answer any more questions, the report said.
The native of Saudi Arabia was arrested on charges of DUI and reckless driving. She was booked at the detention center and released after posting $1,500 bond.