Two men in Cape Coral, Florida, were arrested on DUI charges after an officer watched them swap places behind the wheel at a gas station, police say. The case began with an anonymous report of a white Jeep Gladiator swerving and nearly hitting other vehicles as it drove west on Cape Coral Parkway, according to the Cape Coral Police Department. An officer found a matching Jeep parked at a 7-Eleven a short time later.
At the 7-Eleven near Palm Tree Boulevard and Cape Coral Parkway, the officer watched a man, later identified as Andrew Konchek III, climb out of the passenger seat and into the driver’s seat. He drove the Jeep to another pump, then moved back to the passenger seat. A second man, identified as Kevin Reardon, then got into the driver’s seat and drove away.
Officers followed the Jeep and watched it weave out of its lane, then drift into the bike lane twice. Afterward, ut nearly hit the sidewalk. They pulled it over on SE 1st Place, where an officer made contact with Reardon, the driver. Officers reported a strong odor of alcohol, ruled out any medical or mechanical issue, and noted that Reardon was unsteady, with bloodshot, watery eyes and slurred speech. After Reardon performed field sobriety exercises, a DUI officer arrested him for DUI, and he refused a breath test.
Officers also reported signs of impairment in Konchek, including an alcohol odor, bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and poor coordination. Because an officer had already seen him driving in the parking lot, a second DUI officer opened an investigation, and Konchek too was arrested for DUI and charged with refusing a breath test. Police say he then resisted being handcuffed and was taken to the ground, which added a charge of resisting arrest without violence. Both men were booked into the Lee County Jail, where an inventory of the Jeep turned up a bottle of vodka under the driver’s seat.
Does Switching Drivers Beat a DUI Stop?
Swapping drivers to get out of a DUI rarely works. In fact, stops like that tend to end the way this one did. Officers can always figure out who was actually behind the wheel using their own Similar attempts have happened in Florida and other states. They often leave both people facing charges instead of one.
Impaired driving remains one of the deadliest problems on American roads. Nearly 12,000 people died in alcohol-impaired crashes in 2024, roughly 30% of all traffic deaths, or about one person every 44 minutes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Refusing a breath test does not get around the consequences either, since Florida’s implied consent law triggers an automatic license suspension for drivers who decline, on top of any criminal charges.
What to Do Instead of Driving Impaired
The simplest way to avoid a DUI is not to drink. But you can also take steps to reduce the impact if you do. Decide on a sober ride ahead of time, whether that’s a designated driver, a rideshare or taxi, public transit, or staying put until you are no longer impaired. If you realize you’ve had too much, it is far better to leave the car and arrange another way home than to risk driving or hand the keys to someone who has also been drinking.
Looking out for others matters too. If a friend is about to drive impaired, help them find a safe ride or hold onto the keys until they sober up. Switching seats can backfire, since both people can end up arrested, and the safest choice is always to keep an impaired driver off the road entirely. That’s the surest way to ensure none of this happens.