A Gainesville man flipped his car into a ditch when he was driving home drunk from a friend’s house Friday, Gainesville Police said.
At about 11:18 p.m., David Alan Hall, 55, was driving his silver 2012 Toyota Camry northbound on Northwest 34th Street when he tried to make a left turn at the junction of Northwest 34th Street and 34th Boulevard to continue onto Northwest 34th Street and missed the roadway, according to a police report.
David Alan Hall
A witness watched Hall’s car roll into the ditch and flip over, according to the report. During the accident the Northwest 34th Street and Northwest 34th Boulevard road sign was destroyed.
Hall told officers he wasn’t injured, according to the report.
When police arrived, Hall was outside of his car looking inside of it for his cell phone. Officers noticed Hall had red, watery and droopy eyes and struggled to balance and talk, according to the report.
Officers smelled alcohol on Hall’s breath, and he told police he was coming from a friend’s house, where he said he drank one beer, according to the report.
Hall performed poorly on field sobriety tests and was taken to the Gainesville police station for a breathalyzer test. Police noted his blood-alcohol levels were 0.163 and 0.177, which is roughly double the legal limit, according to the report.
Police arrested Hall on charges of driving under the influence and causing damage to property. Authorities took him to Alachua County Jail where he was released on his own recognizance Saturday morning.
As of press time, Hall could not be reached for comment.
mkornfield@alligator.org
@merylkornfield
