BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Things aren’t always as they seem, and each and every day our Deputies never know what they will encounter or what will be the next thing that makes you go…hmmm.
Take yesterday for example as they responded to calls for a car on fire driving on 192.
Once on scene our Deputies observed Brevard County Fire Rescue actively putting out a brush fire that started from a vehicle fire.
Callers stated the vehicle had stopped, but the driver, Patrick Rinaldi, got back in and began driving with heavy smoke coming from the vehicle.
After driving a short distance it stopped again, only now flames were taking over the vehicle, but Rinaldi just drove away again.
Well eventually he had to stop because of the fire, and when doing so was barely able to help his wife escape from the fire.
As Deputies began talking to Rinaldi they realized there were even more problems as he smelled of alcohol. He said he only had one beer earlier however a bottle of liquor was located on the floorboard of the car, which in our line of work is called a clue.
Rinaldi did give it the old “college try” as a participant in the Drunk Olympics, but just couldn’t seem to manage some of the exercises and then even worse, he decided to refuse participation in the breath test.
As a result of his actions Rinaldi was charged with DUI and Refusal to Submit and subsequently took a ride in our Courtesy Shuttle to Ivey’s Iron Bar Lodge where he got immediate occupancy.
He also got a fairly new pair of shower slides, a one size fits all pair of striped pajamas, an all inclusive pass to the communal showers, and of course reservations in our one star rated dining hall.
Thank you to the citizens who called this in and tried to help, and to our great partners at Brevard County Fire Rescue for getting the fire out. There will never be a valid reason to drink and drive and this man is lucky no one lost their life yesterday due to his bad decisions.
– Sheriff Wayne Ivey
The post Brevard County Man Arrested for DUI After Driving Burning Vehicle Along U.S. 192, Sparking Brush Fire appeared first on Space Coast Daily.