A Villager who relies on a cane was arrested on a drunk driving charge after his wife bailed out of their Cadillac and called an Uber.
Frank Costa, 68, of the Village of DeLuna, was at the wheel of a white Cadillac shortly before 8 p.m. Wednesday when he reportedly was at the entrance to the Village of DeLuna and veered from the visitor lane to the resident lane, according to an arrest report from the Wildwood Police Department.
Two witnesses told police the Cadillac had “swerved into oncoming traffic and almost collided with a golf cart on the road,” the report said. The Cadillac went on to crash into a stop sign at Sentell Street and Tain Terrace, causing an estimated $350 damage.
An officer caught up with the Cadillac and initiated a traffic stop in the 4300 Shannon Loop. The Cadillac’s driver’s side and rear tires were flat and had damage to the rims. There was also damage to the front bumper and passenger side mirror. The officer spotted an open can of Yuengling beer in the car. He also had two small bottles of Fireball whiskey in a small backpack where he carried his wallet and driver’s license. Costa was asked to step out of the vehicle.
“It should be noted that (Costa) requires the use of a cane to walk and stepped out of the vehicle using his cane,” the officer wrote in the arrest report.
Even with the cane, Costa was “swaying back and forth and leaning on the car to hold his balance.”
Costa’s wife arrived on the scene and said she and her husband had been at Brownwood Paddock Square where he consumed a single margarita. They left Brownwood with her at the wheel of the Cadillac. However, her husband “got agitated with her” and she parked the car on the side of the road. She called an Uber and went home, while he moved from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat of the Cadillac.
Costa was transported to the UF Health-The Villages Hospital freestanding Emergency Room at Brownwood, where he was medically cleared.
He provided breath samples that registered .155 and .148 blood alcohol content.
He was arrested on a charge of driving under the influence. He was booked at the Sumter County Detention Center on $500 bond.