A Longwood woman was taken into custody on a charge of driving under the influence after colliding with another car while drinking wine.
An officer responded to a traffic accident with injuries involving 55-year-old Elizabeth Tippett at the intersection of Legends and Champions Way around 6:50 p.m. Monday, according to an arrest report from the Clermont Police Department.
When the police came, he saw a person lying on the sidewalk. Clermont Fire Department officers were already treating the individual, who was identified as the other driver. According to the complaint, an Acura SUV ran off the road and looked to have collided with a water line before passing through a fence.
Tippett, who was highly distraught, remained behind the wheel of the Acura. She eventually told police that she ran a stop sign and collided with another vehicle traveling southbound through the junction, according to the report.
She also offered firefighters an orange bottle containing various medicines and claimed to have taken some of them. She also acknowledged drinking alcohol before the collision.
The deputy approached Tippett as she exited her vehicle, and he noted a distinct fruity stench emanating from her. She was unstable on her feet, spoke slowly and mumbled, and remained quite upset.
Tippett then declined to engage in field sobriety tests, while admitting that she had an 18-ounce glass of wine before driving. She went on to say that she had just gotten out of rehab after being treated for alcoholism. According to the article, she had also taken her prescription prescriptions, which included muscle relaxants, before drinking.
Tippett was arrested after refusing to participate in the sobriety exercises again. She declined to give a breath sample and was brought to Lake County Jail instead. The report stated that she became uncooperative with jail authorities and had to be restrained.
A further search of her purse turned up two empty 50-mL bottles of 80-proof Cav Agave tequila. Tippett had removed this bag from her vehicle and kept it while in the hospital, according to the report.
Tippett’s criminal history included a prior refusal to take DUI tests in 2022, according to the report.
The Virginia native was charged with DUI and refusal to submit to a DUI test (second or subsequent offense). She was released from jail after paying a $3,000 bond.
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