A Pennsylvania snowbird has been arrested on a warrant as a result of a 2023 crash in a roundabout.
Thomas Allen Richards, 74, of the Village of Monarch Grove, was arrested Thursday on a warrant charging him with driving under the influence. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center and released after posting $2,000 bond.
He had been at the wheel of a gray 2020 Mercedes GLC300 utility vehicle at 3:16 p.m. April 16 when he crashed in the roundabout at Marsh Bend Trail and Corbin Trail near the entrance to the Village of McClure, according to an accident report from the Wildwood Police Department.
Richards, who was identified by his Pennsylvania driver’s license, was conscious but not alert. He suffered “minor superficial scrapes on his legs, arms and head,” the report said. He had been heading south on Marsh Bend Trail and was “exceeding the speed limit.” He was unable to navigate the roundabout and ran up into it, striking vegetation and a one way sign, shearing it from its post. His Mercedes went on to a strike a tree and landscaping in the roundabout, causing about $25,000 in damage. An empty bottle of vodka was found in his Mercedes.
An ambulance from The Villages Public Safety Department transported Richards to UF Health-Leesburg Hospital for treatment of injuries suffered in the crash. A blood sample was taken at the hospital and after analysis it was determined that Richards had a “potentially toxic” blood alcohol level of .440.
Richards purchased his home at 1682 Sarakinis Path in 2021 for $769,000. He receives the tax bill in Harrisburg, Pa.
