An unlicensed driver from Mexico was arrested on a drunk driving charge after a crash on U.S. 301 in Sumter County.
Victor Manuel Frias Araiza, 29, of Lakeland, was driving a 2014 Nissan Pathfinder shortly before 11 p.m. Friday when he was involved in the crash on U.S. 301 near County Road 472 near Webster, according to an arrest report from the Florida Highway Patrol. Frias Araiza was identified by his Mexican passport and it appeared he had been drinking. An investigator confirmed Frias Araiza never obtained a driver’s license in the United States.
He agreed to take part in field sobriety exercises, but his poor performance led the investigator to conclude he had been driving impaired. Frias Araiza provided breath samples that registered .194 and .184 blood alcohol content.
He was initially taken to the UF Health-The Villages Hospital freestanding Emergency Room Clinic at Brownwood for a medical evaluation. After he was cleared, he was booked on charges of driving under the influence and driving without a license at the Sumter County Detention Center. He was released after posting $1,500 bond.