With a blood-alcohol level nearly double the legal limit, state Rep. Cary Pigman was charged with drunken driving after a traffic stop on Florida’s Turnpike several hours after a House session Thursday, according to a police report.
Pigman, 58, an Avon Park Republican, was charged with driving under the influence by the Florida Highway Patrol after being pulled over at 10:44 p.m. near the Fort Pierce Service Plaza in St. Lucie County, the arrest report said.
Elected without opposition to a third term last year, Pigman is an emergency-medicine physician, chairs the House Health Quality Subcommittee and is a member of the U.S. Army Reserve who has been deployed three times since 2011. His largely rural district includes Highlands, Glades and Okeechobee counties and part of western St. Lucie County.
Pigman did not immediately respond to requests for comment Friday. Calls to his legislative offices went to voice mail.
According to the report, Pigman denied he had been drinking. But the arresting trooper detected an “odor of alcohol” coming from the vehicle and saw an open bottle of wine in the front passenger seat.
Pigman, the only occupant of a Jeep with a license plate that reflects his House district, “H55,” had trouble performing field-sobriety tests conducted in the service plaza parking lot about 11:55 p.m., the report said. Nearly three hours after Pigman was pulled over, his blood-alcohol level was sampled at 0.14 and 0.15, both above the .08 legal limit for driving in Florida.
During the stop Pigman told the troopers he was traveling southbound to see family in Okeechobee County. The stop occurred seven miles south of Exit 152 for Okeechobee Road in Fort Pierce.
The arresting trooper reported a BOLO, or “be-on-the-lookout,” had been issued for a reckless southbound motorist shortly before the traffic stop. Troopers reported following the Jeep as it drifted across lanes and once into the right paved shoulder.
After posting a $750 bond, Pigman was released from the St. Lucie jail at 8:15 a.m. on Friday.
The charge is a misdemeanor. Fred Piccolo, spokesman for House Speaker Richard Corcoran, said that only felonies trigger automatic disciplinary action in the House.
On the House floor Thursday, Pigman introduced a bill (HB 243) relating to public records and non-sworn investigative personnel of the state Office of Financial Regulation’s Bureau of Financial Investigations.
Pigman also drew attention in September, when the state Commission on Ethics found probable cause that he improperly linked efforts to obtain legislative funding for the Okeechobee County School District to retaliation or an attempt to retaliate against an employee of a school district. The ethics case is pending in the state Division of Administrative Hearings.
–Jim Turner, News Service of Florida
Sherry says
LOVELY! This is the kind of leadership we need in Tallahassee. . . NOT!!!! He. . . and we are all fortunate. . . that he did not harm anyone in his drunken state. . . THIS TIME!
MannyHM says
To Rep. Cary Pigman,
Put yourself on a legally mandated supervised Antabuse program. You know that Antabuse works. Drink on Antabuse and you get quite to the point that you can’t drive. If you can’t drive because you are quite sick, you don’t kill anyone and hit a busload of kids. I’ve worked in Substance Abuse Treatment Unit for more than a decade. I’ve seen what works. Patients on Antabuse actually beg that it should not be stopped. They would tell me – Doc, it sounds that you trust me now that I’ve sober for more than 10 years while on Antabuse but I DON’T TRUST MYSELF (without Antabuse).
I don’t think the usual counseling would work for you because you are already quite knowledgeable on the deleterious effects of alcohol. What you need is a chemical restraint in the form of Antabuse.
It is obvious that your life spiraling down the path of destruction. Give yourself a chance.
MHM M.D.
MannyHM says
The judge should order him to take Antabuse daily.
Heading North says
$10.00 says he either gets it dismissed, or reduced to Reckless Driving with a $200.00 fine, thanks to the wonderful Judicial System!!! Any takers on my wager????
Watching Closely says
Probably tied one on after his boss failed to bring a vote on the trumpcare act. Awwww.
Knightwatch says
Another lying hypocritical Republican.
Geezer says
Smile for the camera Pigman. Wasn’t he in a Seinfeld episode where someone suicided and landed on George’s car?
JasonB says
Drunk driving is only a misdemeanor?
Flatsflyer says
Just the type of person you representing you or providing medical help, not to mention help helping our troops. Throw this bum out of office, yank his medical license, yank his drivers license. This asshole needs to apply to Wal Mart or McDonalds, even though he is not qualified for either position. A true reflection of Donald Trump, a person not worth the air he is consuming, but that’s typical definition of a Republican,
Common Sense says
Another Republican example of their complete disregard for others.
PC Outlaw says
I wish Republicans would drink more.
Joanna Dahl says
I’m pretty confident about my sobriety, but I don’t want to get too confident because that’s when I’ll crash.
Joanna Dahl says
Pigman Md Should take the opportunity to turn this mess into a message. Using his platform as a Senator, Doctor, and Army Vet could really inspire many people to embrace sobriety.