A 76-year-old Florida man with a suspended driver’s license allegedly acknowledged during a traffic stop that he had been drinking rum. He later told deputies he had used cocaine shortly before the stop, authorities said—just four months after a separate DUI arrest.
Charles Ducking of Lake Wales was stopped after a Polk County sheriff’s deputy reportedly saw him swerving on US Highway 27 in Waverly, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
The deputy allegedly smelled alcohol and observed that Ducking’s speech was slurred and his eyes appeared watery.
When the deputy requested his license, Ducking reportedly said it had been suspended.
“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,” Ducking said, according to the sheriff’s office.
Authorities said Ducking then produced a silver thermal cup filled with a brown liquid.
“This here is my rum I’m drinking,” he reportedly told the deputy.
A traffic deputy who arrived to conduct the DUI investigation recognized Ducking from a previous DUI arrest in May, the sheriff’s office said.
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Deputies also allegedly discovered a small orange container holding cocaine inside Ducking’s vehicle. Authorities said he then told them he had “done a line” about 10 minutes before being pulled over.
Ducking reportedly showed multiple signs of impairment during field sobriety exercises. Breath tests produced blood alcohol concentration readings of .094 and .095, exceeding 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.”
Ducking was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail.
He faces charges of DUI—fourth or subsequent offense—along with possession of cocaine, driving with a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The sheriff’s office said Ducking had previously been arrested on a DUI charge in May. He was released several days later after posting bond, under a condition prohibiting him from possessing or consuming alcohol.
Officials said Ducking has also been arrested nine other times in Polk County since 2001, including multiple arrests for DUI.
