An Ocklawaha man with a prior drunk-driving conviction was charged again on Sunday after being stopped for driving erratically.
Jeffrey Ryan Sheffield, 35, of 10680 SE 160th Court Road, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol of drugs. He was previously convicted of DUI in March 2006.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office received a call about a white Dodge pickup truck driving recklessly northbound on East Highway 25. While on patrol in the area, a deputy saw a white 2016 Dodge pickup turning eastbound from Bay Road onto SE 113th Street, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The deputy observed the truck traveling 54 mph in a 45-mph zone and saw it swerve over a double yellow line on SE 113th Street. The vehicle then turned northbound onto SE 160th Court Road and drifted to the point where its driver’s side tires were over the center line of the road. The deputy became concerned the driver was falling asleep while driving, having a medical emergency, or driving under the influence, the report said.
The deputy conducted a traffic stop in the 11200 block of SE 160th Court Road and spoke with Sheffield, who said he hadn’t had anything to drink. Asked about the odor of alcoholic beverages emitting from the vehicle, Sheffield said it may be due to the empty beer cans in the bed of the truck, according to the report.
While speaking with Sheffield, the deputy observed his speech was slow and slurred. While getting out of the vehicle as requested, Sheffield stumbled but didn’t fall over. The deputy recognized the odor of intoxicating beverages emitting from Sheffield’s breath, the report said.
After failing a series of field sobriety exercises, Sheffield was taken to the Marion County Jail. While waiting for a breathalyzer test, he started complaining of severe abdominal and rib pain. He was taken to AdventHealth to be examined for unknown injuries, according to the report.
After a doctor at the hospital said he didn’t have any injuries, Sheffield was brought back to the jail. About six hours after the field sobriety exercises, Sheffield provided breath samples that came back with readings of 0.52 and 0.49, the report said.
Sheffield was released Monday on $2,000 bond. No information about a court date was available.