HAINES CITY, Fla. – A Haines City man with a blood alcohol level of 0.241 was arrested on DUI charges after he crashed a riding lawn mower into a police cruiser, authorities said.
Gary Wayne Anderson, 68, was arrested on charges of driving under the influence after crashing his lawn mower into a Haines City Police Department vehicle around 7 p.m. Saturday
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According to Haines City police, the cruiser was parked at Rodriguez Fashion at 1100 U.S. 17-92 while the officer was tending to another matter. The officer heard a loud noise and saw Anderson on a riding mower pulling an attached trailer, police said.
There was minor damage to the rear plastic portion of the police vehicle's bumper, officials said.
Anderson told police that he hit the vehicle, but didn't cause any damage and that he was drunk, according to authorities.
Anderson was unable to complete field sobriety tests and claimed that he had been poisoned by police and asked to be taken to a hospital, officials said. Anderson was taken to Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center, police said.
Anderson's blood alcohol content was more than three times the legal limit of 0.08, said police, who added that there was also cocaine in his system.
"I'm proud of the professional demeanor our officers showed when dealing with this heavily intoxicated, belligerent offender," Police Chief Jim Elensky said. "It's never a good idea to get behind the wheel drunk, even if that wheel is to a Craftsman, Massey Ferguson or John Deere."
Police said Anderson's driver's license has been suspended since March 1978.
Officials said Anderson has two prior DUI convictions, with the most recent occurring in 1987 in Osceola County.
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