OKEECHOBEE — A local man was reportedly found asleep at the wheel Sunday around midnight and was arrested for DUI. Charles Parnell Jr. 52, Linda Rd., was arrested Oct. 13 by Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Deputy Steven Pollock. His bond was set at $250.
Deputy Justin White was traveling northwest on U.S. 441 Southeast on Oct. 13 when he approached the intersection at State Road 78 West and noticed a gray 2018 jeep Wrangler stopped at the red light. When the light turned green, the jeep did not pull forward, and after waiting through a second red light, Deputy White activated his lights and got out of his vehicle and approached the jeep when the light turned green for a second time.
According to the arrest report, the man, later identified as Charles Parnell was sitting with his arm propped on the driver’s side door and his head was resting on his hand but was wobbling back and forth. When Deputy White knocked on the window, Parnell reportedly woke up. When he opened the door, he was reportedly covered in vomit, smelled strongly of alcohol, and his words were thick and slurred. His breath test results were reportedly 0.149 and 0.150.