A man was arrested late Saturday afternoon and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs after conducting an erratic, high-speed U-turn on SE Baseline Road in Ocala.
Jessie Lee Hayes, 63, of Ocala, was taken into custody after a Marion County deputy watched him make the U-turn, overcorrect and then drive in two lanes. His vehicle also swayed and crossed the yellow line multiple times, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office report states.
Hayes, who listed his occupation as construction and works at Ocala’s Best Fencing, told the deputy he was heading home from an Internet Café. Hayes had a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech, the report says.
When asked if had consumed any alcoholic beverages, Hayes told the deputy he had had two beers and some cinnamon gin.
Hayes failed several field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest. The deputy also found an open bottle labeled “gin” sitting near the driver’s seat in Hayes’ black Nissan Altima.
After arriving at the Marion County Jail, Hayes provided breath samples showing levels of .167 and .157 grams of alcohol. The legal limit in Florida is .08.
Hayes also admitted to deputies that he had been drinking from about 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. He was booked on a $1,000 bond.