A 29-year-old resident of The Villages was detained on a drunk driving charge after reportedly crashing his sport utility vehicle into a roundabout, destroying a palm tree and a light pole.
Klinton George Tomlinson, of the Village of Alhambra, was driving a red 2020 Hyundai Kona SUV southbound on El Camino Real around 8:15 p.m. Monday, according to a Sumter County Sheriff’s Office arrest report.
When Tomlinson neared the Morse Boulevard crossroads, he allegedly failed to spot the roundabout and did not apply his brakes in time. He drove through the intersection when his vehicle exited the road and collided with the landscaping in the center of the roundabout, completely breaking a palm tree and a light pole in half.
Deputies arrived to discover the car immobilized, with substantial front-end damage and airbags deployed. Tomlinson and a passenger were standing outside of the wrecked SUV. Both men were unharmed.
While conversing with officers, the Ohio native allegedly showed indicators of impairment, such as bloodshot and watery eyes, dilated pupils, delayed speech, and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath.
Tomlinson agreed to engage in field sobriety exercises but struggled with the tasks, according to the report. He allegedly strayed off the line during a walk-and-turn activity and had to “slowly search for his nose” during the finger-to-nose exercise. When asked to repeat the alphabet, Tomlinson apparently did it inaccurately, paused for several times, and pretended to fall asleep during the exercise.
He was arrested and sent to the Sumter County Detention Center, where he supplied breath samples that showed 0.255 and 0.253 blood alcohol levels.
A computer check indicated that Tomlinson had previously been convicted of driving under the influence in Ohio in October 2025.
Tomlinson was arrested on a preliminary accusation of driving under the influence with a blood alcohol level greater than 0.150, a second violation. His bond amount was set at $8,000.
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