A Villager with a history of drunk driving and a suspended license was arrested on a felony DUI charge after getting lost on Interstate 75.
Teddy Owen Coviello, 78, who lives at 2104 Inez Lane in the Village of Santo Domingo, was pulled over at about 7:30 p.m. Tuesday on I-75 northbound near Mile Marker 311 in Bushnell.
According to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol, Coviello told a trooper he was trying to drive from Ocala to The Villages but had gotten lost. During the traffic stop, Coviello presented a New York driver’s license, despite admitting he has lived in The Villages for at least 13 years. A computer check revealed his driving privileges in Florida were already suspended for a previous DUI.
The trooper noted multiple signs of impairment, including bloodshot and watery eyes, the odor of alcohol, poor balance and confusion. Coviello told the trooper he could not perform any balance-related field sobriety exercises, but he performed poorly on a vision-tracking exercise…