CITRUS COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) says a woman was driving drunk at a time when people were advised to stay off the roads due to flooding danger from Hurricane Debby.
Now, 38-year-old Candace Wisecup faces a DUI charge.
The Sheriff made the traffic stop
On Monday, Aug. 5, Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast was headed to check out road conditions when he said a driver at a stoplight next to him was spinning her tires.
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The sheriff says as the light turned green, the woman took off, swerving “erratically” through lanes and began turning her hazard lights on and off.
The sheriff says when he pulled her over, he smelled alcohol and Wisecup was slurring her speech.
Open containers littered front seat
CCSO says they asked Wisecup to step out of the vehicle and when they did, they noticed “several open containers” on her front passenger seat.
LCSO says they found three open containers of shooters, an unopened shooter, and a can of beer that was almost empty.
They say they also found a cell phone unlocked and playing videos.
Field sobriety test
During a field sobriety test, deputies said Wisecup performed poorly on the ‘walk and turn’ portion of the test.
They say Wisecup blamed the storm winds for making walking in a straight line difficult.
Deputies allege Wisecup became disruptive and started talking over them as they tried explaining the sobriety tests to her. Deputies say they gave her many chances to calm down, but she continued to disrupt them.
The sheriff’s office said she refused to take a breathalyzer test.
They also say Wisecup was driving on a suspended license.
Deputies then slapped the handcuffs on Wisecup.
“Unfortunately, while natural disasters like Hurricane Debby are barreling down on our county, ?some citizens believe that law enforcement isn’t watching,” said Prendergast. “Thankfully, Wisecup was caught and put behind bars before hurting anyone or causing any damage. This should remind everyone that our team is always here to ensure your safety, regardless of weather.”
Wisecup is being charged with one count each of DUI and driving with a suspended license.
According to her affidavit, she is being held in the Citrus County Detention Facility on $1,500 bond.
She has a mandatory court date set for August 29 at the Citrus County Courthouse.