Traveling at speeds up to 115mph, an Opa Locka resident was stopped in Okeechobee and charged with DUI.
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OKEECHOBEE - Traveling at speeds up to 115 mph, an Opa Locka resident reportedly made his way from Loxahatchee to Okeechobee before he was stopped and charged with DUI.
On Thursday, Feb. 4, Willie Gordon, 63, was arrested by Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Brandon Greis at approximately 11 p.m.
Greis was dispatched to the area of the 7000 block of U.S. 441 Southeast in reference to a reckless driver. He was told the vehicle he was looking for was a red Toyota pickup. Once he arrived in the area, he pulled into a driveway to watch for the vehicle and less than a minute later, saw a vehicle driving west in an eastbound lane. The vehicle then passed Greis at a high rate of speed, continuing on the wrong side of the road.
Despite Greis’ attempt to perform a traffic stop, the vehicle continued over the bridge at Nubbins Slough. Greis noted he looked at his speedometer at this point, and it registered 115 mph. After crossing the bridge, the vehicle abruptly stopped near the 6000 block.
After the vehicle stopped, Greis realized it was the vehicle dispatch had advised was driving recklessly. Greis called to the driver to exit the vehicle and when he got out of the truck, he reportedly stumbled and almost fell into the road. He also reportedly slurred his speech and could not put sentences together. When asked for his license, he reportedly handed Greis a business card. Eventually, he provided Greis with a Georgia license.
The witness who called in the reckless driver complaint said he had been driving west on U.S. 441 Southeast when Gordon passed him at a high rate of speed in Loxahatchee. As he continued traveling, he saw the same vehicle in Martin County stopped on the side of the road. The driver was lying in a ditch on the side of the road. The witness called Martin County Sheriff’s Office, but by the time they arrived, Gordon was gone.
As the two vehicles approached Okeechobee, the witness said Gordon almost hit several vehicles head on.
Greis asked Gordon to complete some field sobriety exercises to see if he was safe to drive, and Gordon reportedly said, “I am not doing any of your exercises. I have not done anything wrong.”
A freshly smoked marijuana joint was reportedly found in an ashtray, and Gordon refused to submit to a breath test.
Gordon was charged with DUI, and his bond was set at $500.
