Florida Man Arrested for DUI on Lawn Mower
On a busy Florida highway, a driver was taken aback when police apprehended a man for driving a lawnmower while intoxicated.
The Florida Highway Patrol received a call around 8:30 a.m. on Friday regarding a man driving erratically on a lawnmower. Troopers arrived on the scene about 20 minutes later to find 38-year-old Christopher Spain on the side of the road.
Upon arrival, officers noticed several signs of impairment in Spain, including pinpoint pupils, flushed skin, and a dry mouth. There were also indications of irritation in his nose.
While speaking with the officers, Spain displayed odd behavior, such as sniffing and spitting. Attempts to conduct field sobriety tests were made, but he became increasingly uncooperative after the third try.
Subsequently, Spain was arrested on charges of driving under the influence. He was booked into Hernando County Jail and later released on a $500 bond, according to reports.
This isn’t the first instance of someone facing DUI charges while operating a lawnmower in Florida. For instance, Paul Burke was arrested back in 2020 for riding a lawnmower on a Marion County highway and had previously been convicted of multiple DUIs. He famously told deputies he had no driver’s license and suggested sobriety tests were unnecessary.
In another case from 2017, Kenneth Burton Areshhouse was pulled over while riding a lawnmower on US Highway 1 with a case of beer. Police reported he had a blood alcohol level three times over the legal limit.
Interestingly, Florida law defines a “vehicle” very broadly, including items like lawnmowers, golf carts, and bicycles. The legal blood alcohol limit for operating any such vehicle in Florida is .08%.
