A woman was arrested on a drunk driving charge after hitting a sign and fleeing in front of a police officer.
An officer responded at about 1 a.m. Saturday to U.S. Hwy. 27/441 at County Road 466A to a report of a vehicle that had left the roadway and struck a sign, according to an arrest report from the Fruitland Park Police Department. The officer arrived on the scene and began speaking to some individuals “presumed to be involved with the crash in some fashion.”
The police officer saw a black vehicle leaving the scene of the crash “with a large piece of debris trailing behind it,” the report said. The vehicle did not have its headlights on. The police officer followed the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.
The driver was identified as 45-year-old Emily Marie Grove of Fruitland Park. The Michigan native denied any knowledge of the accident, even after the officer pointed out the fresh damage to her car and the “large piece of debris hanging from her vehicle.”
It appeared she had been drinking. During field sobriety exercises she was “uncooperative, argumentative and forgetful.” She provided breath samples that registered .201 and .213 blood alcohol content.
She was arrested on charges of driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. She was booked at the Lake County Jail and released after posting $4,500 bond.
