Florida law enforcement officers arrested a man for allegedly driving under the influence (DUI) while riding a lawn mower along a toll road.
When calls came in to the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP) about a man operating a lawn mower erratically on Suncoast Parkway, it did not take troopers long to arrive at the scene where they found the suspect, Fox 13 reported.
The man was apparently driving the lawn mower south from Citrus County to Hernando County. Authorities pulled over the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Christopher Spain, near an exit to U.S. 98.
When troopers made contact with the man, they noticed he was showing signs of impairment that included small pupils, flushed skin, dry mouth, and irritation on the inside of his nostrils.
Images show the lawn mower and the suspect in the case:
Troopers also said the man was carrying a blue straw and he cleared his throat, sniffed, and spat several times during their conversation with him. He was arrested after refusing to perform field sobriety tests.
Spain was charged with driving under the influence and released on a $500 bond.
Spain is not the only Florida man accused of driving a lawn mower while under the influence. In 2019, one man drove his lawn mower into a police car, then told the officers to take him to jail, per CBS Local News. The outlet said authorities found cocaine in his system:
The following year, a man with three previous DUI convictions was accused of driving a lawn mower while drunk on Highway 316 in Florida:
When the officer who pulled the man over told him he would perform some field sobriety tests, the man said, “There’s no sense in it… because I’ve been drinking.”
The Alcohol Help website defines alcoholism as “the most severe form of alcohol abuse and involves the inability to manage drinking habits.”
“It is also commonly referred to as an alcohol use disorder. Alcohol use disorder is organized into three categories: mild, moderate, and severe,” the site read. “Each category has various symptoms and can cause harmful side effects. If left untreated, any alcohol abuse can spiral out of control.”
