A 61-year-old who lives with his parents in the Village of Springdale is spending 30 days in jail for driving drunk.
Jeffrey Allan Bennett pleaded no contest this past week in Sumter County Court to a charge of driving under the influence. In addition to 30 days in jail, he will lose his driver’s license for six months, has been placed on probation for one year and has been ordered to perform 50 hours of community service. He was given credit for six days already served behind bars.
The Dearborn, Michigan, native was behind the wheel of a vehicle at about 5 p.m. June 8 when he was pulled over on Morse Boulevard. A Sumter County sheriff’s deputy initiated the traffic stop after noticing the vehicle did not have a tag attached. A subsequent check determined there was no license plate assigned to the vehicle at all, according to an arrest report.
When a second deputy arrived on the scene to assist with a driving under the influence investigation, the deputy immediately detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from the vehicle. Bennett had bloodshot, glassy eyes and struggled to stay on task when asked to locate his proof of insurance. According to the report, Bennett apologized for slurring his words, telling the deputy he had recently suffered several strokes. Bennett provided two breath samples that registered at 0.150 and 0.147 blood alcohol content — nearly twice Florida’s legal limit of 0.08…