A 76-year-old Florida man whose driver’s license was suspended allegedly acknowledged during a traffic stop that he had been drinking rum and later told deputies he had recently used cocaine. The arrest came just four months after he was taken into custody on another DUI charge, authorities said.
Charles Ducking of Lake Wales was stopped after a Polk County sheriff’s deputy reportedly saw him swerving on U.S. Highway 27 in Waverly, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy reportedly smelled alcohol and observed that Ducking had slurred speech and watery eyes.
When the deputy requested his driver’s license, Ducking allegedly said it had been suspended.
Authorities said Charles Ducking told a Polk County sheriff’s deputy that his license had been suspended because of a DUI and acknowledged that he had been drinking. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office; TW Farlow/Getty Images)
“Well, I can’t show you my driver’s license cuz it’s suspended cuz DUI. And I have been drinking a little bit right now,” he said, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies said Ducking then produced a silver thermal cup filled with a brown liquid.
“This here is my rum I’m drinking,” he allegedly told the deputy, according to the sheriff’s office.
Charles Ducking, 76, was arrested in Polk County, Florida, after deputies said he admitted drinking rum and acknowledged recently using cocaine during a traffic stop. (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
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A traffic deputy called to investigate the suspected DUI recognized Ducking from a previous DUI arrest in May, the sheriff’s office said.
During a search of Ducking’s vehicle, deputies reportedly discovered a small orange container holding cocaine. Authorities said the discovery prompted Ducking to tell them he had “done a line” about 10 minutes before the stop.
Ducking also showed multiple signs of impairment during field sobriety testing. Breath tests recorded blood alcohol concentrations of .094 and .095, both above Florida’s legal limit of .08 for drivers.
“While we appreciate Charles Ducking’s cooperation during the traffic stop, the fact of the matter is, he is lucky he hasn’t yet killed someone or himself while driving drunk and high on drugs,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement.
“He has tempted fate too many times, and he needs to make some serious changes in his life before it’s too late,” Judd added. “I am proud of my deputies for their proactive patrolling to find impaired drivers and get them off the road.”
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd (left) stands with Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey (center) and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (right) at the Polk County Sheriff’s Office on April 19, 2021. (Ricardo Ramirez Buxeda/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Ducking was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail. He faces charges of DUI, fourth or subsequent offense; cocaine possession; driving with a suspended license; and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The sheriff’s office said Ducking had previously been arrested for DUI in May. He was released several days later after posting bond under a condition prohibiting him from possessing or consuming alcohol.
Since 2001, Ducking has been arrested nine additional times in Polk County, officials said, including several prior DUI arrests.