FHP trooper Javon Murphy arrested Lowe on charges of DUI and property damage after they discovered him in his car on the shoulder near the intersection of Northeast 21st Street and Northeast 156th Avenue just after 4 a.m. Thursday, according to an FHP arrest report.
Lowe showed signs of intoxication, and his 2005 Honda Civic was damaged. Evidence showed that Lowe hit a Florida Department of Transportation sign on the shoulder, according to the report.
Lowe told Murphy he crashed because he fell asleep while driving and admitted to drinking three beers earlier in the night, according to the report.
He performed poorly on a field sobriety test, according to the report, and was arrested for DUI just before 5 a.m. Troopers booked him into the jail at about 6:30 a.m.
Lowe took a breath test when he arrived at the jail. His blood alcohol content levels were .069 and .061. However, Murphy determined that Lowe’s BAC was above .08 at the time of the crash, which happened at 2:20 a.m., according to the report.
City of Gainesville spokesman Bob Woods issued a statement regarding Lowe’s arrest.
“The immediate concern is the mayor's well-being,” the statement read. “We are continuing to monitor events and will have no further comment on the circumstances related to the incident or the incident itself until the Florida Highway Patrol completes its investigation and official report.”
Lowe is currently running for re-election against Ed Braddy in the April 16 mayoral runoff. Braddy was charged with DUI in 2006, according to public records.
Contact Kathryn Varn at kvarn@alligator.org.
