'The driver stated he was very drunk,' told to put on pants before 4th DUI arrest

SILVER SPRINGS, Fla. (TND) — A call about a reckless driver who "was weaving and almost struck several vehicles" led to a man's fourth DUI arrest. He'd already been convicted three times.

A corporal with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office in Florida found the Ford F150 pickup truck at a gas station on the evening of June 30 and described what happened as it pulled out.

“As it turned, it made a wide left, turn, crossing both lanes and entering the bike lane.

“The vehicle then pulled into Silver Springs State Park and spoke to the guard at the entrance,” the arrest report said. “The guard advised me I should follow the vehicle because the driver stated he was very drunk.”

The corporal followed the pickup into a parking lot, where “the vehicle began to attempt to back into a parking spot.

“As it did, the vehicle next to it honked due to believing the truck was going to strike their vehicle.

“The driver of the Ford, defendant Jeffrey Lincoln, begin to yell and honk his phone back at the driver next to him.”

The officer conducted a traffic stop for Lincoln’s “various” violations, “as he was yelling at the other driver.”

The arrest report described his smell of alcohol, “bloodshot watery eyes, and a slurred mumbled speech.

“I asked defendant how much he had to drink, and he stated, ‘A little bit too much, and I was trying to find a place to sleep.’”

Then, the arrest report noted: “An open bottle of vodka on the passenger floorboard.

“I observed the defendant to not be wearing his pants, and his shorts to be on the seat next to him.

“The defendant was unable to locate his driver’s license after being asked for it.

“I asked the defendant to step out of the vehicle and put his pants on.

“The defendant stepped out and advised he needed his walker, due to having hip surgery three weeks ago.

“I had the defendant sit on the rear bumper of his vehicle,” where he reportedly agreed to seated field sobriety exercises.

“The defendant appeared to fall asleep during the exercise,” the corporal wrote about the fourth and final one.

He determined Lincoln should not have been driving and took him to jail, where he “agreed to provide a breath sample.

“The defendant provided one sample of 0.241.

“The defendant then advised he wanted to refuse.

“I read the defendant implied consent, and asked him to provide a second sample, and he refused.”

Lincoln, 59, had been convicted of DUI in 1993 and 1999 in Broward County, and in 2017 in Brevard County.

According to the arrest report in that last case, “The defendant stated that he had been drinking throughout the day.”

Then, a deputy asked about field sobriety exercises and, “The defendant stated that he could not perform the exercises because he was ‘drunk.’

“I then requested that he step out of his pickup truck. He was unable to stand, even while supporting himself against the truck.”

Lincoln was arrested and the deputy wrote, “still unable to walk, and had to be carried to my patrol vehicle by three other deputies.”

Then, he had trouble with the breath test in jail.

“He could not perform the test and could not adhere to the instructions,” the arrest report said. “I then asked him if he would attempt the test again.

“He stated that we were ‘a******s’ and refused the test.

“While still in the room, [a corrections deputy] was standing to the defendant’s left side; he stated that he could take on all of us and then struck [that deputy] in the chest area with a closed fist from his left hand.”

He was taken to a hospital and then jail, where he spent a month and a half.

Two months later, he was convicted of DUI, his refusing testing charge was dismissed, and adjudication was withheld for his felony, battery on a law enforcement officer.

This time, he was charged with DUI-fourth or subsequent offense and DUI–refusing to submit to testing after his license was suspended.

He has been in jail ever since.