A Village of Oak Meadows man on a lawn mower was arrested on a drunk driving charge after he was spotted leaving the liquor store at Winn-Dixie.
Richard Rose, 62, who lives at 705 Harper Place in the golf cart accessible community located behind Rolling Acres Plaza, at 9 p.m. Thursday was spotted walking out of the Winn-Dixie at La Plaza Grande drinking from a small bottle and then throwing the bottle away, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department.
He got on a lawn mower and drove to the intersection of Avenida Central and Rio Grande Avenue, where he was pulled over by police. The odor of alcohol was detected, he was swaying and leaned on the mower to maintain his balance. Rose told the officer he was “just on his way home from cutting grass,” the report said. He said he bought a small bottle of vodka and showed the officer an unopened bottle. The officer confronted Rose with the fact he had been seen drinking from a bottle when he left the Winn-Dixie liquor store. Rose admitted he had “one quick drink” and a Bud Light earlier.
Rose “was not able to properly do or finish any” of the field sobriety exercises he had been asked to perform. Rose has previous DUI arrests, according to information from the Lake County Jail, where he was booked and released after posting $3,000 bond.
