A Dozen Empty Wine Bottles Found With Florida Driver Whose Alcohol Levels Were Six Times the Legal Limit: Police

A Florida man was arrested with a dozen empty wine bottles strewn across the floor of his car and a blood alcohol content (BAC) over six times the legal limit.

Haines City Police responded to a 911 call about an unresponsive driver on January 7 and found Miguel Anguel Rodriguez unconscious behind the wheel, with the car in gear, engine running, and his foot on the brake. Concerned for public safety, the responding officer parked his patrol vehicle in front of Rodriguez's car to avoid a potential lurch into traffic, Fox 35 reported.

Attempts to wake Rodriguez failed, prompting the officer to break the passenger-side window to put the car in park and remove the keys. Inside, officers discovered 12 opened and consumed bottles of wine. Rodriguez, 43, drifted in and out of consciousness but was unaware of his surroundings, according to the police report.

Rodriguez was taken to a hospital, where tests revealed a BAC of .523—far surpassing Florida's legal limit of .08.

Haines City Police Chief Greg Goreck described the situation as one of the most extreme cases he has seen in his nearly 30 years in law enforcement, including over a decade focused on DUI and traffic homicide investigations.

"This incident underscores the serious dangers of driving under the influence," Chief Goreck stated. "We are grateful for the citizen who contacted law enforcement and that no one was injured. We will continue working tirelessly to keep our roads safe from impaired drivers and will hold Mr. Rodriguez accountable for his actions."

Rodriguez faces one count of DUI. Although he has no prior DUI arrests, police noted he has a history of miscellaneous traffic violations.