A Key West man was arrested on Saturday for DUI after he crashed into a truck, totaling both vehicles, right in front of an officer.
Ravi Vaithinathan, 46, was charged with DUI and DUI with property damage.
Around 10:30 p.m., a Key West Police Department officer was in the middle of a bicycle stop on Flagler Avenue when he saw a white car traveling eastbound crash into the rear end of a parked truck.
According to the report, more officers responded to the scene, where they met with Vaithinathan. He appeared to be disoriented but aware of his surroundings. However, he couldn’t provide an exact account of what had just occurred. At one point, he stated he was looking down when he crashed, and, at another, he said he was looking backward.
Officers reported smelling an extremely strong odor of alcohol on Vaithinathan, and they also noted he had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and he was unsteady on his feet.
The Key West Fire Department responded to the scene, and a blood sugar check revealed Vaithinathan had a much higher than normal blood sugar level. He was transported to the hospital, where his blood sugar was stabilized. Following this, Vaithinathan still exhibited signs of impairment. After being discharged from the hospital, officers had Vaithinathan conduct a field sobriety test, which he ultimately failed.
Vaithinathan then provided a breath sample, which showed his blood alcohol level to be around .109.
Vaithinathan was taken to the Monroe County Detention Center, but was released later that same day.
Information in the Crime Report is obtained from reports provided by area law enforcement agencies.
If you have information that could help solve a crime in the Florida Keys, call Crime Stoppers, 800-346-TIPS.