A 59-year-old Silver Springs man was charged with DUI after he was found passed out at a stop sign with his vehicle running and in gear with his foot on the brake.
A witness called law enforcement around 9:44 p.m. Nov. 7 and reported that a 2006 white 1996 GMC Jimmy SUV had been sitting for a long time in the middle of the road at a stop sign on NW 2nd Avenue. Ocala Fire Rescue were first at the scene and found Michael Dane Richardson passed out in the vehicle, according to the Ocala Police report.
A Fire Rescue employee put the vehicle in park and when Richardson woke up, he tried to drive off. Fire Rescue checked Richardson’s vitals and said they didn’t smell any alcohol but he appeared to be out of it, the report said.
An officer arrived and found Richardson still in the driver’s seat. The officer immediately observed his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. His eyelids were droopy and sometimes dripped so far that they covered his pupils. Richardson talked slowly and spoke with a thick tongue, according to the report.
When asked how much he had to drink, Richardson said he doesn’t drink. He said he takes several medications, including a prescription for anxiety, and had last taken his medicine at around 1 or 2 p.m. Richardson said he has been taking the medications for past injuries, the report said.
Richardson was unsteady as he got out of his vehicle and walked to the patrol vehicle, where he failed a series of field sobriety exercises. He provided breath samples for testing that came back with readings of .000 and .000. He agreed to provide a urine sample at the Marion County Jail, where he’s being held on $2,000 bond on a charge of DUI (second offense). He’ll appear in Marion County Court on Nov. 25.