A deputy in Florida was charged with driving under the influence after crashing into two poles in a McDonald’s parking lot, authorities said.
Jose Cruz, a 31-year-old detention deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested after the smash-up during an apparent fast food run to the Highway South eatery in Riverview around 3:30 a.m. Saturday, WFLA reports.
Deputies found Cruz’s 2011 Ford Ranger stuck on a concrete median after he struck two cement poles in the parking lot. He was then asked to perform several field sobriety tests, during which “impairment was observed,” according to the sheriff officials.
Cruz then provided two breath samples, showing blood-alcohol content levels of .189 and .196, respectively – more than double the legal limit to drive. He was later taken into custody on charges of driving under the influence and driving under the influence with property damage, WFLA reports.
“We remain committed to doing whatever it takes to keep our roadways safe from impaired operators,” sheriff officials said in a statement.
Cruz, who has been employed by the department for three years, has been suspended without pay pending an internal investigation.