An Anthony woman tried to climb from the driver’s seat into the back seat of a van but couldn’t avoid being arrested during a traffic stop in Ocala on Sunday night.
At around 9:45 p.m., a Marion County sheriff’s deputy saw a black 2005 Dodge Caravan traveling north on Jacksonville Road fail to stop while making a right-hand turn at the red light at Highway 326. The vehicle made an immediate left into the Marathon gas station, according to the sheriff’s office report.
The vehicle sped through the gas pumps and continued north on Jacksonville Road. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and the vehicle came to a stop so fast that it moved back and forth from the gearshift being placed into park, the report said.
While approaching the vehicle, the deputy saw the driver – later identified as Demi A. Dirda, 25, of 897 NE 95th St. – move from the front driver’s seat to the rear passenger seat. The movement was visible due to the deputy’s flashlight shining through the window. The driver’s side window was down and the deputy heard a female voice say, “Why did you run?” The voice came from the front of the vehicle, where a female was sitting in the passenger seat with her seatbelt on, according to the report.
The deputy saw Dirda wiggle her way on top of a backseat passenger towards the rear door. The deputy opened the door and detained her. Dirda said she was on probation, does not have a license and was not driving. She said the passenger/registered owner of the vehicle was driving, but this wasn’t possible because the deputy observed Dirda get into the rear of the vehicle, the report said.
A records check showed Dirda’s license is suspended/revoked for driving with a suspended license and refusal to submit to a lawful test of breath, urine or blood. Dirda was also convicted of driving with a suspended license in Wisconsin in 2017, according to the report.
Dirda was charged with driving with a suspended license (second offense), where she was released Tuesday on $1,000 bond. No court information was available.