Bartender Was Drunk, Street Racing, Police Say
A driver with a blood alcohol content twice the legal limit was arrested early Wednesday after a police officer reported seeing him street racing on University Avenue.
The other driver involved — who was driving a Cadillac SUV — was not stopped by police during the three-block-long race.
An officer with the University of Florida Police Department was conducting a security check shortly after 1 a.m. on the Human Resources Building at 903 W. University Ave. when she noticed a Mitsubishi being driven by Terrance L., 24.
Officer Kelly Hogan said she fell in behind the westbound Mitsubishi because it did not have a visible tag.
Hogan said the Mitsubishi was in the right lane at the light at 1000 W. University Ave. and the Cadillac was in the left lane when she heard the driver of the Mitsubishi say to the Cadillac driver: “Ready? Let’s go!”
In her report, Hogan wrote: “As the traffic light turned green, both vehicles rapidly accelerated, spinning their tires in an effort to race one another.”
Hogan said she turned on her emergency lights and pulled over the Mitsubishi in the Holiday Inn parking lot at 1300 W. University Ave.
Driving the Mitsubishi was Terrance, who has a Georgia address but told police he works as a bartender in Gainesville.
After providing blood Terrance samples of .159 and .166, and after his car was searched, Terrance was charged with DUI, street racing, possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Terrance was booked into the Alachua County jail.
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