A 26-year-old intoxicated Ocala man was arrested after a sergeant spotted him swerving his truck across the median and into oncoming traffic.
On Thursday, December 16 at around 10 p.m., a Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the 200 block of Northwest 27th Avenue in Ocala in reference to a sergeant needing assistance.
An MCSO sergeant was driving on West Highway 409 when a dark colored truck was observed blocking westbound traffic with no lights on. According to the MCSO report, the truck was perpendicular to the roadway at around the 3200 block of West Highway 40.
The driver, later identified as Roberto Vasquez, turned east onto Highway 40 and immediately swerved across the median and into oncoming traffic, nearly striking another vehicle.
The sergeant witnessed Vasquez swerve back to West Highway 40 and then onto the median again. Activating the patrol car’s lights, the sergeant conducted a traffic stop in the median near the intersection of West Highway 40 and Northwest 27th Avenue.
When the sergeant gave verbal commands for Vasquez to step out of the vehicle, he instead drove north onto Northwest 27th Avenue and then swerved into the southbound lanes, nearly hitting a semi-truck.
The sergeant re-entered the patrol car, caught up to Vasquez, and successfully performed a P.I.T. maneuver to end the pursuit. When the sergeant apprehended Vasquez, there was a strong odor of alcohol from his breath.
The MCSO deputy arrived on scene and also smelled alcohol on Vasquez’s breath. His eyes were observed to be bloodshot and watery, and his speech was thick.
When asked if he had a driver’s license, Vasquez told the deputy that he did not have one. He added that he was only driving because he was drunk.
Vasquez refused to participate in any field sobriety exercises, but he eventually agreed to a breath sample. The first sample showed a blood alcohol level of .208, and the second sample measured .216.
Vasquez was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail where he is currently being held on $16,000 bond. He is facing a felony charge for fleeing from a law enforcement officer along with misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence and driving without a license.
A court date has been scheduled at 9 a.m. on January 18, 2022, according to jail records.