A 76-year-old Florida man allegedly admitted drinking rum and using cocaine after deputies stopped him for swerving, and the sheriff says he is lucky no one is dead.
Charles Ducking of Lake Wales was pulled over along U.S. Highway 27 in Waverly after a Polk County sheriff’s deputy saw him swerving, Fox News reported.
The stop quickly turned into a full impaired-driving investigation. Deputies said they smelled alcohol, heard slurred speech, and saw watery eyes.
When asked for his license, Ducking did not hide the problem.
The sheriff’s office quoted him saying:
"Well, I can't show you my driver's license cuz it's suspended cuz DUI. And I have been drinking a little bit right now,"
He then showed a silver thermal cup with brown liquid inside and made the admission even clearer.
Officials quoted him again:
"This here is my rum I'm drinking,"
A traffic deputy recognized Ducking from a prior DUI arrest in May. A vehicle search followed. Deputies said they found a small orange container with cocaine.
Ducking allegedly told law enforcement he had “done a line” about 10 minutes before the stop.
Field sobriety tests showed several indicators of impairment. Breath tests registered.094 and.095. Florida’s legal limit for drivers is.08.
Deputies arrested him and booked him into Polk County Jail. Authorities charged him with DUI as a fourth or subsequent offense, possession of cocaine, driving with a suspended license, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The May case is not ancient history. Ducking was arrested for DUI then and released days later after posting bond. The condition was simple: do not possess or consume alcohol.
He was back on the road with rum in a cup and a suspended license tied, by his own words, to DUI.
Polk County records described in the report show a longer pattern. Ducking has been arrested nine other times in the county dating back to 2001, including multiple DUI arrests.
That history is why the newest case was charged as a fourth or subsequent DUI offense.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd credited deputies for getting an impaired driver off the highway. He also framed the stakes without soft edges.
Judd said:
"While we appreciate Charles Ducking's cooperation during the traffic stop, the fact of the matter is, he is lucky he hasn't yet killed someone or himself while driving drunk and high on drugs,"
He added:
"He has tempted fate too many times, and he needs to make some serious changes in his life before it's too late,"
And he closed with praise for the stop itself:
"I am proud of my deputies for their proactive patrolling to find impaired drivers and get them off the road."
No injuries were reported from this stop. The danger was still plain: a repeat DUI suspect, already barred from alcohol under a prior bond, behind the wheel with rum, cocaine, and a suspended license on a public highway.
Repeat drunk drivers do not deserve endless second chances while everyone else shares the road.
