An Ohio man who owns a home in The Villages was hurt and taken into custody after crashing his golf cart into a fence while allegedly inebriated.
Following the incident, which happened just after 9 p.m. Saturday near the intersection of Morse Boulevard and Deskin Lane in the Village of Osceola Hills, William Louis Galloway, 67, is charged with driving under the influence.
According to a Sumter County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, a 911 caller stated that a silver golf cart had hit many curbs and was driving on the opposite side of the permitted cart road before striking a fence. Galloway was flung from his golf cart onto the asphalt as a result of the incident.
Despite serious “road rash” abrasions on his face and legs, Galloway climbed back into the golf cart and attempted to flee the scene by driving it in reverse. Concerned about the safety of others because Galloway appeared to be inebriated, the witness reached inside and grabbed the keys from the ignition. Galloway reportedly pleaded with the caller not to engage the police, claiming that he lived nearby. The witness kept the keys and handed them over to the approaching paramedics.
When the deputy arrived, she discovered Galloway in the driver’s seat. She noticed he had his left arm in a medical sling, which he claimed he incurred when he fell off a roof two weeks before. The deputy smelled significant alcohol and noticed Galloway had bloodshot, glassy eyes, slurred speech, and a blank stare.
Galloway only did a few field sobriety exercises due to his injured arm. He struggled to follow simple instructions, swayed significantly, and couldn’t accurately recite the alphabet.
He was taken to the Sumter County Detention Center, where he supplied two breath samples, both of which showed a. A 210 blood alcohol percentage is more than two and a half times Florida’s legal limit of .08.
According to records, Galloway’s Ohio driver’s license was already suspended due to a past DUI conviction for which he is currently on misdemeanor probation.
Galloway was identified by his Ohio driver’s license and has lived in the Village of Osceola Hills since 2016. He gets the property tax bill at his primary residence in Valley City, Ohio.
He was booked into the Sumter County Detention Center and then released after paying a $500 bond.
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