Ocala,FL : Man faces third DUI charge after head-on crash on January, Wednesday 3rd 2018

An Ocala man who, authorities said, was so intoxicated he did not remember where he was or where he was going, and whose vehicle collided head-on into another one, was arrested Wednesday for driving under the influence.

Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Michael Reid Jr. was called at 6:14 p.m. Wednesday to investigate a traffic crash on State Road 40 and Northwest 110th Avenue. Bystanders told Reid the driver of one of the vehicles, later identified as Jose Luis Cervantes, 26, tried to drive away.

Witnesses told the trooper that the older model Jeep driven by Cervantes was traveling east in the westbound lanes of SR 40 while an older model Acura was traveling west in the inside travel lane.

The Acura driver saw a vehicle in front of him veer left of the center median and saw the Jeep coming toward him. He said he veered to the left to avoid a collision but the oncoming Jeep hit his vehicle.

The trooper states in his report that Cervantes had slurred speech and glossy, bloodshot eyes. He asked Cervantes to do a field sobriety exercise, which he refused to do.

Cervantes was taken to a hospital to be evaluated. While there, he told the trooper he has a drinking problem and said he had been drinking since 10 a.m. He said he did not remember where he was going or where he was coming from, the report states.


Once he was medically cleared, Cervantes was arrested and taken to the Marion County Jail, where he was booked at 1:20 a.m. He refused to provide a breath sample.

Cervantes will face several charges, including driving while license is revoked, DUI and DUI with property damage.

Court records show Cervantes had prior DUI convictions in 2011 and 2014. He was convicted in 2013 and 2014 on charges of driving on a suspended driver’s license and received a citation for having an open container of alcohol.

Source :
Man faces third DUI charge after head-on crash