A man who was treated by a deputy and paramedics for a drug overdose on Saturday was arrested Monday for DUI after, authorities said, he was found slumped over the wheel of a vehicle stopped with the engine running in front of a stop sign.
Belleview Police Department officials said they received a call at 10:03 p.m. Saturday to assist another agency in the 4900 block of Southeast Abshier Boulevard. When a BPD officer arrived, Sgt. Jason Nasworth of the Marion County Sheriff’s Office was there and had given Narcan to Brian Camacho, 39, who was lying unconscious on the ground.
Marion County Fire Rescue officials soon arrived and gave Camacho another dose of Narcan, according to the report.
Narcan is a nasal spray that can revive people who have overdosed. In recent months, in response to the nationwide opioid crisis, which has had an impact locally, area law enforcement and emergency officials have increasingly been given access to the product to help them when they encounter someone who has overdosed.
At 7:45 p.m. Monday, a sheriff’s deputy was called to Parrett’s Country Store at 3780 NW Gainesville Road, north of Ocala, in reference to someone unresponsive behind the wheel of a running car that was stopped at the stop sign at the store exit, according to an MCSO report.
Sheryl Sweet said on Tuesday that people who were behind the vehicle were honking their horns. She said she left the store and then returned roughly 15 minutes later and saw the same vehicle was still parked and running in front of the sign. She said she told her daughter to go in the store and call 911 and that she banged on the vehicle doors and windows for about 15 minutes but got no response from the driver.
Deputy Christopher Rafferty arrived and saw the blue Toyota sitting at the stop sign. The keys were in the ignition and the vehicle was running. As the slumped over driver woke up and tried to drive away, Rafferty, who could not open the locked doors or windows, broke a window.
The vehicle stopped. When the deputy opened a door, he saw an open beer in the center cup holder. As Camacho got out of the vehicle, he could barely stand up. The deputy said Camacho’s speech was slurred and he mumbled about feeling weak, the report states.
Camacho told the deputy he had just finished doing heroin. The deputy saw a needle in the back passenger seat, the report notes.
Camacho told the deputy that he is on medication for diabetes. Medical personnel were called to check on him. Once he was medically cleared, Camacho agreed to do a field sobriety exercise, which he failed.
Camacho was arrested for DUI and was taken to the Marion County Jail. Breath tests for blood alcohol content yielded zeros. Camacho then provided a urine sample.
Camacho remain at the jail Tuesday on $2,500 bail.
Court records show that from August 1995 through March 2016, he has had more than 20 traffic infractions, including speeding, driving while license is suspended or revoked, violation of a control traffic device and not wearing his seat belt.
Contact Austin L. Miller at 867-4118, austin.miller@starbanner.com or @almillerosb.