A drunk driving suspect who allegedly fled the scene of a crash told police she drank beer at Applebee’s restaurant prior to the accident.
Shawna-Rae Liza Lavertu, 39, of Summerfield, was driving a sport utility vehicle in the wee hours Sunday when she made a turn onto Lake Ella Road, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department. An officer found her vehicle stopped in the middle of a 90-degree turn at Lake Ella Road and Padgett Circle.
When the officer approached the driver’s side window, it became apparent Lavertu had been drinking. She initially said she was “coming from work” at the Outback steakhouse, but later said she had been drinking beer at the Applebee’s restaurant.
Another woman pulled up to the scene of the traffic stop and claimed Lavertu had rear-ended her vehicle while it was stopped at the intersection of U.S. Hwy. 27/441 at Fennell Boulevard. She said she had pulled over to the side of the road to exchange information with the other driver, but the SUV sped away.
Lavertu struggled through field sobriety exercises and provided breath samples that measured .277 and .263 blood alcohol content. A criminal history check revealed she had been convicted of driving under the influence in 2019.
The Maine native denied she had been in an accident and refused to sign an accident citation.
She was arrested on charges of driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident and refusal to sign a citation. She was booked at the Lake County Jail and released after posting $10,500 bond.
