A Summerfield teen was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence after swerving into a deputy’s lane with a half-empty 12-pack of Twisted Tea.
A deputy was traveling westbound in Ocklawaha when the 18-year-old driver of a white Chevrolet truck, Hunter Austin Murphy, swerved into his lane by several feet around 12:55 a.m. Sunday, according to an arrest report from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. After being forced onto the grassy shoulder, the deputy turned around to catch up to the truck.
He then stopped the vehicle at the intersection of Southeast 95th Street Road and 182nd Avenue Road. Approaching Murphy, the deputy could smell the strong odor of alcohol coming from the truck. Murphy advised that he was coming out to the woods to go mudding, and he swerved because he was trying to change the music on the radio, the report said.
At that point, the deputy asked Murphy to participate in field sobriety exercises. He agreed but had trouble keeping his balance. He almost fell at one point and did not follow instructions, the report said.
The deputy advised that he knew Murphy had been drinking and asked him to just be honest. Murphy instead stated he had not drunk anything that night. However, due to his performance, the deputy concluded he was under the influence. Murphy later provided two breath samples of 0.203g/210L, the report said.
A subsequent inventory of the truck yielded several empty cans of Twisted Tea and Michelob Ultra around the driver’s seat. There was also a cold, half-empty can of Twisted Tea and a half-empty 12-pack of the same drink behind the driver’s seat, the report said.
Murphy was arrested on charge of DUI and booked at the Marion County Jail. He was released after posting $1,000 bond.