An Ocklawaha man was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after swerving all over the road on the way back from drinking at a pub.
A deputy on patrol spotted a red pickup truck parked in front of a dumpster at CVS, 15843 E Hwy. 40, Silver Springs, at 9:35 p.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. He also saw the driver, 52-year-old Ronnie Hinklein, eating a sandwich and asked if everything was okay.
Hinklein stated he had just stopped to eat, but the deputy noticed he slurred his words at the time. He left Hinklein to finish his food and parked down the street to watch what he would do. He subsequently started his vehicle and began driving southbound on South Hwy. 314A, the report said.
As the deputy followed the truck, it swerved over the middle line and the right lane line into the grass several times. The truck was traveling 20 mph over the speed limit when it completely crossed into the northbound lane and stayed there. At that point, the deputy caught up and stopped the truck in the 2000 block of the highway, the report said.
Hinklein was still slurring his words when asked for his driver’s license, which he struggled to get out of his wallet. He advised that he had not drunk anything that day, and he claimed he swerved on the road while finishing his sandwich. He then agreed to participate in field sobriety exercises, the report said.
He stumbled out of his vehicle and was unsteady on his feet as he walked over to the back of his truck to begin. During the first exercise, he admitted to drinking two beers. His performance, including poor balance and not following instructions, led the deputy to conclude he was under the influence, the report said.
Hinklein ultimately stated he had several drinks at the Fire Rock Pub, 18750 SR 40, Silver Springs, that night. He knew better, and he knew what was about to happen due to previous DUIs. A check of his criminal history confirmed he had two previous convictions in the state of New York, but they were 26 and 28 years ago. He later refused to provide a breath sample, the report said.
The New York native was arrested on charges of DUI and refusal to submit to DUI testing. He was booked at the Marion County Jail with bond set at $1,500.