Florida Man Tried To Blame Drunk Driving on a Medical Condition He Couldn’t Pronounce

Buckle up, because this traffic stop was anything but routine. Police in Lady Lake say a Wildwood man was taken off the road earlier this month after he was reportedly seen driving the wrong way down U.S. Highway 27/441 late at night — a move that had other drivers swerving for their lives.

Reports of a Dangerous Driver Roll In

Just before 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 12, calls began flooding dispatch about a red Ford that was “swerving, crossing lanes and nearly striking other vehicles,” according to a police report. The vehicle was first spotted near County Road 25 and Griffin Avenue before being seen heading south in the northbound lanes. Talk about taking “opposite direction” a little too literally.

Officers Work Fast to Stop Disaster

Police quickly blocked traffic and stopped the car near Water Oak Boulevard. Behind the wheel, officers found 44-year-old Christopher Johnson, who they say was showing “signs of heavy impairment and could not stand on his own.” They also noted open containers of alcohol inside his car.

Breath tests showed Johnson blew 0.245 and 0.236, nearly three times the legal limit. In fact, footage shows one officer asking Johnson to follow his finger with his eyes. Johnson’s response? “That’s where I’ve always had a problem with my, my EFD. It’s hard to actually follow.” When the officer asked what “EFD” meant, Johnson answered, “Hyper-apnent… Hyper… bleh…” to which the officer calmly replied, “One of those… Alright. Um. We do believe you’re impaired.”

Prior DUI History Comes to Light

Johnson admitted he had been drinking earlier, and officers later discovered he had prior DUI convictions and was driving on a suspended license. He was arrested on charges of DUI and driving with a suspended license (DWLS) and was released on $15,000 bond. His vehicle was towed from the scene.

Police Chief Steve Hunt praised the quick work of his officers, saying, “Our officers acted quickly and decisively to stop this vehicle before someone was seriously hurt. Driving into oncoming traffic is extremely dangerous, and their fast response prevented what could have been a tragic outcome for innocent drivers.”