Florida man accused of DUI, driving 101 mph in 50 mph zone: PCSO
Courtesy: Pinellas County Sheriff's Office
EAST LAKE, Fla. - A Florida man is facing DUI and dangerous excessive speeding charges after Pinellas County deputies say they clocked him driving 101 mph on East Lake Road early Friday morning.
Pinellas DUI & speeding arrest
The backstory:
According to a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit, Caue Morata was arrested after a traffic stop near the intersection of East Lake Road and Boot Ranch Boulevard South at about 3:36 a.m.
Deputies said Morata was driving northbound on East Lake Road in a 50 mph zone when they saw the vehicle traveling at an extremely high rate of speed.
The deputy who made the traffic stop estimated the vehicle was traveling about 100 mph before a radar unit measured its speed at 101 mph, according to the PCSO affidavit.
Morata eventually came to a complete stop and was taken into custody. He faces charges of dangerous excessive speeding of more than 100 mph and DUI.
Signs of driver impairment
Dig deeper:
A second deputy responded to help with the traffic stop and said Morata showed several signs of possible impairment.
According to the affidavit, the deputy reported a smell of alcohol coming from Morata's breath, along with bloodshot and watery eyes. The affidavit also says Morata was unsteady on his feet and told deputies he had consumed alcohol.
Breath testing facility results
By the numbers:
Deputies asked Morata to participate in standardized field sobriety exercises, which he failed, according to the affidavit.
Morata was then taken to the Pinellas County Central Breath Testing Facility, where he provided two breath samples that were above the legal limit in Florida, according to the affidavit. The first sample registered a breath alcohol level of 0.129, while the second registered 0.127.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from arrest affidavits provided by the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.