by Teresa Eubanks, CLJNews.com
CALHOUN COUNTY, FL – An Okeechobee man who blasted past an FHP trooper at 111 mph as he headed toward Blountstown on SR 71 on Jan. 20 was arrested for driving under the influence.
FHP Trooper Hunter Chason was on routine patrol around 6 p.m. when Joseph Gerald McCollum, 53, who was heading south, raced past the northbound patrol car.
The trooper made a quick U-turn at Magnolia Church Road, hit his lights and siren and followed the Ford F-250 for nearly four miles before McCollum finally pulled onto the east shoulder and stopped just north of Jim Godwin Road.
The trooper approached the truck to speak with the driver and recognized the strong smell of an alcoholic beverage coming from McCollum. The driver’s speech was slurred and his eyes were bloodshot and glassy, according Chason.
The driver then admitted to having had “a few shots of whiskey and two beers,” according to the arrest report.
McCollum had difficulty following instructions when asked to hand over his driver’s license. Instead, he repeatedly tried to give the trooper his debit card. Even after finally producing his driver’s license, he continued to try to give the trooper his debit card.
The driver agreed to take field sobriety exercises but could not follow instructions successfully. He was unable to keep his head still and couldn’t stop talking as the trooper was giving him directions.
McCollum nearly fell over multiple times, was unable to stand on one leg and swayed while being given instructions.
He was taken to Calhoun County Jail, where he gave two breath samples which results in readings of 0.231 and 0.221. The legal limit in Florida is .08.
A dog traveling with him was turned over the sheriff’s office as McCollum was taken into custody.
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