A 68-year-old Ocklawaha woman was taken into custody for drunk driving early on July 4 after failing to complete field sobriety testing without falling over.
Denise Rae Shiever was driving a green Kia Soul around 2:18 a.m. Saturday when a Marion County sheriff’s deputy noticed her veering southbound on SE 183rd Avenue Road.
The deputy began a traffic stop in the 5000 block and spoke with Shiever, who was apparently straining to get her driver’s license out. According to the arrest complaint, the deputy detected an odor of alcohol, but Shiever originally denied drinking, claiming she was just traveling home from a meeting with friends and was almost there.
Shiever struggled to walk out of the van for field sobriety exercises. She staggered violently during a vision exercise before confessing to the deputy that she had been drinking with pals at the Fire Rock Pub for several hours and couldn’t recall how many drinks she had consumed.
Shiever struggled to maintain her balance during the walk-and-turn exercise, preventing her from ever reaching the starting position. The deputy stopped the workout because she was afraid she was going to fall. When asked if she wanted to do the one-leg stand, Shiever informed the deputy, “She can try, but it’s obvious she can’t, and she knows what will happen.” When she tried to elevate her leg, she quickly fell over and had to steady herself.
To ensure Shiever’s safety, the deputy had her sit on the police vehicle’s bumper for sitting exercises. While sitting, she frequently missed the tip of her nose during a finger-to-nose exercise and sang the alphabet despite being told not to.
When the deputy asked her to rank her intoxication on a scale of 1 to 10, Shiever said she was a “5.” She told the deputy she had no idea why she was drinking and driving and that she “just wanted to see her friends.”
Shiever was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence and sent to Marion County Jail, where she provided breath samples. 125 and .121 blood alcohol levels.
She was booked into Marion County Jail and released after paying a $1,000 bond.
Leave a Comment