A Florida man appeared in court last week after telling law enforcement officers during a DUI stop that his dog was the one driving. Scott Garrett, 56, was arrested for drunk driving in Martin County, Florida on May 16. Garrett was in a Nissan sedan on the I-95 from Becker Road when he crossed into a state trooper’s path. A trooper stopped the Nissan after observing the vehicle drifting and traveling 15 mph under the 70 mph speed limit.
Once the Nissan pulled over, investigators observed the smell of booze from inside the car. Garrett spent several minutes searching for his driver’s license but could not find it. A trooper noticed a license in a wallet in the passenger seat. Right next to the wallet was an open bottle of 92 proof Sailor Jerry spiced rum.
The trooper asked Garrett where he was coming from, and at first he couldn’t recall. Later, Garrett told officers he left his girlfriend’s residence after a fight about their dog. Garrett was not wearing shoes, and told officers he had consumed “a bunch of drinks.” According to an investigator in the case, Garrett stated “he wasn’t driving the vehicle but it was…actually his dog.”
Garrett submitted to several field sobriety tests and requested a ride home before he was charged for DUI. His BAC results were 0.252 and 0.248, more than triple the legal limit of 0.08%. Florida Highway Patrol verified that Garrett has three prior DUI convictions on his record. With prior DUI convictions, a citizen may be charged with a felony DUI and could be sentenced to prison time.
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