Michael Ackerman was out of luck when he went looking for a snack this week, says Broward DUI attorney William Moore of William Moore Criminal Defense. The South Carolina resident went to the burger chain Jack in the Box for some food. He pulled through the drive-through, but the odd site caught the attention of local sheriff’s deputies: Ackerman was riding (or driving) a lawn mower. After he was served, the suspect “drove” away and was ultimately apprehended at a nearby hotel. Fort Lauderdale DUI lawyer Moore notes that Floridians are often surprised that a person could be charged with driving under the influence (DUI), often colloquially called driving while intoxicated (DWI), when they are not operating a motor vehicle such as a car or truck. Typically DUI arrests in Fort Lauderdale and around the state of Florida occur when motorists are suspected of drunk driving by police who stopped them for that or an unrelated reason.
Occasionally, however, an odd allegation of DUI makes its way into the national news, such as Ackerman’s arrest, according to Broward DUI Lawyer William Moore. Other notable odd DUI arrests in recent memory include a many who was arrested for allegedly operating an ice rink clearing machine known as a Zamboni while under the influence in Maine – the charges were eventually dropped – and residents Colorado, Georgia, Alabama, and possibly other states who have been charged with DUI on horseback.
In fact, Fort Lauderdale DUI attorney William Moore says there have been at least two widely-publicized cases of horseback riders being charged with driving under the influence in recent years. An Alabama woman was charged with the crime, along with various drug offenses, after she rode a horse through a small town around midnight in 2007. The woman and her horse were causing traffic problems; other motorists even had to swerve to avoid hitting them. As the last straw, the woman allegedly attempted to ram the police vehicle with the horse. The horse was apparently uninjured and the woman involved did not face animal cruelty or similar charges. A different woman was arrested for DUI after steering her horse onto a highway in rural Georgia and trying to merge with traffic, causing an incident with a car traveling on the highway. Heather Darnell, who was 22 years old at the time of the offenses, was also issued a ticket for entering a lane of traffic on the horse, according to law enforcement authorities.