DUI-testing for marijuana impairment is inaccurate, easily disputed and defeated. The result is uneven prosecution. Innocent drivers are being wrongly convicted. Impaired drivers are remaining undetected, posing a potential safety risk to everyone on the road.
DUI
David Zlokas, 66, Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison in DUI Death of ‘Best Friend’ Gary St. Peter
David Zlokas, the 66-year-old former resident of Surf Side condominiums, drove home drunk in 2017 and smashed his Mustang against a tree. He survived. Gary St. Peter did not.
Rymfire Elementary Teacher Travis Holloway Arrested a 4th Time Days After State Reprimand and Probation Order
Rymfire Elementary School teacher Travis Holloway, 39, had just been issued a written reprimand and placed on probation for a year by a state disciplinary board when he was arrested for drunk driving in Palm Coast Friday.
9 Years in Prison For Tyler W. Dutton in DUI Manslaughter Death of Jordan Marie Rineer, 25
Tyler Wayne Dutton was sentenced to nine years in prison followed by five years’ probation in the death of 25-year-old Jordan Marie Rineer on U.S. 1 in October 2015.
Is The .08 Threshold for DUI Too Lax?
Traffic safety advocates and a federal highway safety agency support the change to .05 and have been recommending it for years.
DUI Manslaughter Charge for David Zlokas in Death of Gary St. Peter in A1A Crash;
Bar Named in Lawsuit
David Zlokas and Gary St. Peter had just left Uncaged Tasting Room, the bar in the Hammock, when they crashed and St. Peter was killed. Zlokas faces criminal and civil actions.
Life In Prison For William Schwarz, Drunk Driver Who Killed Kathy and Carl Boos in Flagler Beach
The sentence against William Schwarz was extraordinarily harsh, but also driven by his very lengthy record of drunk driving and other criminal arrests.
Felony Child Abuse Charges For Father of 3 Allegedly Driving Drunk With Children in Backseat
Ryan D. Cornwell, a 24-year-old resident of Farragut Drive in Palm Coast, and Rebecca Knowles, 64, of Prosperity Lane in Palm Coast, both face felony child abuse charges in separate arrests.
Pick-Up Flips on Old Kings, Driver Arrested For DUI, Palm Coast Firefighter Injured
Lt. Brian Mugford of the Palm Coast Fire Department injured his foot when looking for other patients: the driver of the pick-up had falsely claimed someone else had been driving, and had run off.
Accused Drunk Driver Crashes Dodge Durango Through Fencing Along Rymfire Drive
Robert Sewell, 31, resident of Palm Coast’s R-Section, was on his way to Kangaroo at 1:25 Tuesday morning when he crashed through property fencing on Rymfire Drive.
Millionaire John Goodman, Battling DUI Manslaughter Conviction, Disputes Blood Tests
Justices will hear arguments about whether the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has adequate rules to ensure that blood-alcohol tests conducted in DUI cases provide accurate results.
GOP Rep. Cary Pigman, Chairman of House Health Subcommittee, Arrested for Drunk Driving
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.
Cops’ Dash-Cam Video Evidence Gets Big Boost in 5-2 Ruling By Florida Supreme Court
“We cannot expect officers to retain information as if he or she were a computer,” the court ruled, granting power to judges to review video evidence when available.
5 Years in Prison for Rebecca Lawless in DUI Death of Diane Upton in SR100 Crash
The five-year sentence is less than half the minimum required by law, but the judge agreed to the plea because Upton’s family, showing mercy, did not want Lawless more severely punished.
In Month of Spiking Violence Against Police, 2 Palm Coast Men Arrested Separately For Threatening or Battering Cops
Anthony Banks, 42, allegedly battered and threatened an FHP trooper following a car crash, and Jarret Register, 24, threatened to shoot a sheriff’s deputy in the chest after an altercation at Smiles bar. Both men were allegedly drunk.
In DUI Case that Killed Michelle Roberts on Belle Terre, an Unprecedented Offer to Avoid Prison Is Rejected
Richard Kelley, who was driving with Roberts and her daughter when they wrecked in January 2014 at Pine Grove, wants the offer further sweetened to a deal that would still let him eventually drive again. It was not his first DUI charge, and he was driving on a revoked license.
Two Attorneys Disbarred Over “Unprecedented” DUI Set-Up of Opposing Lawyer in Big Case
The Florida Supreme Court unanimously supported the disbarment of Robert D. Adams and Adam Robert Filthaut of Tampa for their role in setting up the drunken-driving arrest of an opposing lawyer during a high-profile case.
Woman Faces List of Charges, Including DUI, After Fleeing Cops, Crashing on I-95 and Attempting Escape
The incident started at a Palm Coast convenience store, culminated in a crash on I-95 that closed the northbound lanes of the Interstate, and ended with an attempted escape at Florida Hospital Flagler.
Challenge to Florida’s DUI Breath Test May Be Moot After U.S. Supreme Court Ruling
A majority of the U.S. Supreme Court said a law similar to Florida’s, in Minnesota, allowing breath tests for DUI, does not violate the U.S. Constitution’s Fourth Amendment, which bars unreasonable searches and seizures.
Tyler Dutton Charged With DUI Manslaughter in Death of Jordan Rineer, 25, on US1 in October
Tyler Dutton, the subject of several arrests in Flagler County over the past few years, was charged with DUI manslaughter in the death of 25-year-old Jordan Marie Rineer early the morning of Oct. 27 on U.S. 1, just south of Old Dixie Highway in Flagler County.
Can You Be Punished For Refusing DUI Test? 2 Highest Courts About to Decide.
Sept. 1 arguments before the Florida court on the question may be made moot by a decision of the U.S. Supreme Court, expected in June, on the same issue. U.S. Justices were skeptical of breath tests.
Developer Charlie Faulkner Arrested on DUI and Criminal Mischief Charges Over Political Sign
Charlie Faulkner, president of Flagler Beach’s Faulkner and Associates, was arrested after a cop spotted him throwing a Chris Yates for Sheriff sign into the woods on State Road 100, though Faulkner was acting on a property he manages.
Michael Stens, County Judge’s Ex-Husband, Is Arrested on DUI Charge After Crash in F-Section
Michael Stens, 44, a resident of Fenimore Lane in Palm Coast, divorced from County Judge Melissa Moore-Stens three years ago, crashed his Prius into a culvert within a few feet of his house after driving home and was arrested on a drunk driving charge Monday morning.
Palm Coast Man Accused of Drunk Driving Arrested After 2 Crashes on Belle Terre Pkwy.
Ian Yahnke, 45, of Palm Coast, crashed a car at the Kangaroo station then at White View Parkway before his arrest, breathing .271 and .289 in a blood-alcohol level test at Florida Hospital Flagler.
Woman Passed Out in Car on A1A With Infant By Her Charged With DUI and Child Neglect
Tiffany Pond, 24, was passed out at the wheel of her car, the radio blaring, with an infant next to her near an open alcohol container when a Flagler Beach officer woke her up.
DUI Arrest Turns Into Violent Confrontation With Cops and Paramedics
Elisabeth Akers of Palm Coast faces two felony and two misdemeanor charges after allegedly spitting on paramedics and resisting arrest with violence in the Seminole Woods area.
Palm Coast Woman Charged in DUI Manslaughter Was Stopped Moments Before the Crash, and Released
Rebecca Lawless, 26, charged in the death of Diane Upton, had been stopped by a deputy shortly before at another location and allowed to leave even though she was determined to be drunk.
Rebecca Lawless, 26, Faces DUI Manslaughter Charge in Death of Diane Upton on SR100 Last Year
Lawless, a Palm Coast resident, turned herself into the Flagler jail almost a year to the day when she ran a red light and slammed into Diane Upton’s car, killing Upton and injuring two family members.
Repeat Child Molestor Sentenced to Life, Drunkard Faces 15 Years in Killing of Laura Hrobsky
Meshac Abentego, 43, was sentenced to life for molesting a 9-year-old girl, and Sandra Dee Heilman, 44, faces 15 years in the DUI killing of Laura Hrobsky, in November 2012 on Beville Road in Volusia County.
Sheriff Plans DUI Checkpoint Saturday at SR100 East of Old Kings Road Saturday Night
The checkpoints typically result in far fewer arrests for drunk driving than for other reasons: drivers may charged with a host of issues that have nothing to do with drunk driving, including for drug possession or for non-moving violations such as non-functioning headlights or tail lights or irregular registration.
Arrested for Drunk Driving, She Tries to Roll Up Her Car Window on a Cop’s Arm
Erin Johnson, 26, of Palm Coast, was one mile from her Wellshire Lane house before she was arrested on charges of battery on a cop, resisting with violence and drunk driving.
Claiming He Wasn’t Driving, Man Is Arrested For DUI After Injuring Biker in a Wreck
The wreck, which resulted in a head injury for a biker, took place outside the White Eagle Lounge, when witnesses told police Raymond Albinger, 54, jumped out of the truck he was driving and threw out a cooler from the bed of the truck into the bushes.
As Compliance Replaces Controversy, Sheriff Cautions of 2 DUI Checkpoints in Palm Coast
The checkpoints, which must follow strict guidelines, will be located at Palm Coast Pkwy NW and Frontage Road as well as State Road 100, East of Old Kings Road.
Flagler Sheriff’s Deputy Byrne Injured During DUI Investigation of Bunnell Suspect
Kevin Byrne, an eight-year veteran and a corporal with the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, was struck in the leg by a suspect’s car, which the suspect had left unsecured during a DUI investigation near Los Amigos on Nov. 30.
Flagler Deputy Sees Man Choking a Woman After Pulling Him Over For Erratic Driving
Sheriff’s Cmdr. Paul Bovino noticed William Murphy fighting with a woman as they drove north on U.S. 1 Tuesday evening, and pulled him over, only to then see Murphy allegedly escalate the confrontation.
Facing DUI Charge, Palm Coast Man Attempts to Bribe Deputy With Dinner
Ricardo Feo Sr., a 58-year-old resident of Princess Geraldine Place in Palm Coast, offered dinner to deputy Joseph Barile, in exchange for his freedom, as he was being booked into the Flagler County jail.
Accused Drunkard Driving Wrong Way on S.R. 100 Strikes Cruiser, Injures Deputy, and Flees
Frederick Sell, an 83-year-old resident of 70 Town Court in Palm, Coast, was jailed over the weekend on charges of driving drunk and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage after driving the wrong way on State Road 100 and crashing his car into Flagler County Sheriff’s deputy George Hristakopoulos’s cruiser.
Sheriff’s Memorial Day Weekend Enforcement Nets 295 Stops, 50 Citations and 17 Arrests
The marine unit completed 19 stops on the Intracoastal Waterway, issued one ordinance violation to juveniles who were jumping off the Hammock Bridge and retrieved a jet ski which was adrift in the water.
Yes, You Can Be Arrested for Drunk Biking: Cyclist’s DUI Case 1 of 7 This Weekend
Vincenzo Corrao, a 54-year-old resident of South Daytona Avenue in Flagler Beach, was bicycling home from Finns one night over the Memorial Day weekend when he was pulled over for lack of a proper light, and then found to be drunk, which led to his DUI arrest. It was only one of seven DUI arrests this weekend as Flagler deputies were out in force and on the lookout for drunk drivers. Here’s the complete rundown.
Drunk Drivers and Boaters Beware: Sheriff Deploying Extra Patrols in Flagler Over Memorial Weekend
Flagler Sheriff’s deputies will be conducting extra patrols this weekend throughout the county. The extra patrols will take place on our local roads and waterways during the three-day Memorial Day holiday. But deputies will not set up check points.
Wings Over Flagler Leader and Bunnell Director Arrested on Drunk Driving Charges Over the Weekend
Bill Mills, a lead organizer, with WNZF, of Wings Over Flagler since the event’s inception four years ago and its rejuvenation this past weekend, was arrested just before midnight on Friday night on the Flagler Beach Bridge. Mick Cuthbertson, Bunnell’s community development director, was arrested early Sunday morning after going against traffic on U.S. 1 and crashing into a car.
Hit-and-Run Leads to DUI and Child Abuse Charges for Repeat Offender Bruce Ganem
Bruce Ganem, a 49-year-old resident of Bracken Lane in Palm Coast who’d been booked at the Flagler County jail six times on charges ranging from drunk driving to indecent exposure, was arrested a seventh time Sunday after an alleged hit-and-run and leading cops on a weaving chase up Belle Terre Parkway, with three young children in his car’s backseat.
23-Year-Old Charged With DUI Manslaughter Over Deaths of Lane Burnsed and Meredith Smith
Louis Prinzo, a 23-year-old resident of Ormond Beach, was arrested on eight charges, including four felonies, in the deaths of Lane Burnsed, 19 at the time of the July 26 wreck on I-95, and Meredith Smith, 17 at the time. Burnsed’s family issued a statement remarkable for its forbearance regarding Prinzo’s arrest.
As a Cat Lay Dying, He Drove Drunk to a Vet, But Court Finds Him Guilty of DUI Anyway
The cat Christopher Brooks was taking to a vet died at roadside as he was being given field sobriety tests, despite its owners’ please to the cop. But his DUI conviction was upheld by a Hillsborough County appeal court that declared that special circumstances don;t apply to cats as they would to human beings.
Drunk on a Sailboat, Drunk and Violent at the Bowling Lanes, Sobered Up at County Jail
Hamish MacDonald was found passed out on the deck of his circling sailboat in the Intracoastal Waterway, near Grand Haven in Palm Coast, and Shane Hefner was arrested for throwing a drink at a Palm Coast Lanes bartender, and driving drunk.
Joker’s Jail: Drunk Driver Thinks Impersonating His Dad Was Funny. Cops Don’t.
In a pair of weekend wrecks and arrests, David Shipman, 52, of 81 Weymouth Lane, is facing charges of drunk driving, giving a false identification while detained, causing property damage and serious bodily injuries to another, while Marty Hogan, 24, of Deltona, is charged with a hit and run, with property damage, reckless driving with bodily injury, and probation violation.
Joseph Drenner, 50, Is Killed in Early Morning Wreck on U.S. 1; Companion Survives
Joseph Drenner, 50, was killed when he was ejected from a Toyota SUV his companion, Christina Laming, 41, was driving north on U.S. 1 in Palm Coast early Saturday morning. Charges are pending against Laming, who refused to have her blood tested at the scene for impairment.
Lea Stokes, Former Flagler Chamber Chairman, Arrested on 2nd Drunk Driving Charge
Lea Ann Stokes, who heads Flagler Beach’s Preferred Management Services, was on the way to a Super Bowl party Sunday evening when she was arrested in Flagler Beach, and tried unsuccessfully to use her connections to get out of the arrest.
66-Year-Old Palm Coast Man Jailed for Drunk Driving After Crash on Pine Lakes Parkway
Raymond C. Jakubielski, a 66-year-old resident of Woodfern Place in Palm Coast, was charged with DUI after crashing his car into Robert Hunt’s on Pine Lakes Parkway Thursday evening. Both men escaped serious injury.
Flagler Sheriff Tallies DUI Catch as Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Blood-Test Case
Flagler County deputies arrested 11 drunk drivers and many others on charges unrelated to DUI. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to decide whether forcing a DUI suspect to submit to a blood test is constitutional.
