A Labor Day weekend DUI patrol in Hillsborough County, Florida, turned up a driver who never even made it far at all; he was found fast asleep behind the wheel with the car still running.
According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, deputies with the department’s DUI Squad responded around 10:36 p.m. on September 4 after finding a man asleep in his vehicle on Falkenburg Road.
The driver, identified as 28-year-old Sonny Vera, was asked to perform a field sobriety test and refused, which led to him being placed under arrest.
Deputies found an open beer inside the vehicle during the encounter.
Deputies Woke Him Up
In the body camera footage, deputies are seen approaching the vehicle, with the window already down. Deputies noticed Vera was sleeping and then shook him awake. It was a rude awakening for Vera, who looked visibly confused.
Vera was charged with DUI as a second conviction, refusal to submit to testing for a second or subsequent time, and a violation of his driver’s license restrictions.
An Increase of Patrol
This arrest resulted from increased patrols by deputies on the streets during Labor Day weekend, according to FOX 13 Tampa. The sheriff’s office increased its focus on finding impaired drivers during the holiday weekend, when more people are expected to be out celebrating.
That extra enforcement put deputies on Falkenburg Road late Friday night, where they found Vera asleep behind the wheel of a running vehicle. While he wasn’t found driving at the time deputies arrived, the circumstances were enough to lead to a DUI investigation and his eventual arrest.
The sheriff’s office used the incident as a reminder that getting behind the wheel after drinking can have consequences even when the vehicle isn’t moving. Deputies encouraged anyone planning to drink during the holiday weekend to arrange a designated driver or use a rideshare service instead.
The Arrest Got People Talking
People online had plenty of jokes about the encounter. Several commenters pointed out the coincidence of the road’s name itself, joking that “Falkenburg” practically sounded like a warning sign that alcohol ended up winning anyway. Others joked about the location’s proximity to the county jail, saying the setup wrote itself.
Another commenter tried to imagine Vera’s confusion upon waking up, joking he probably assumed he was still at the club. Others took a more positive approach, saying they’d rather see someone passed out in a parked car than actually driving under the influence.