A man who touted his master's degree in response to an officers request to recite the ABC's during a sobriety test failed miserably.
According to an arrest affidavit by the Cape Coral Police Department, officers were called to the intersection of Viscaya Parkway and 24th Avenue about 8:45 p.m. Friday. Witnesses saw a gold Mercedes weaving over the center line and into opposing traffic along Birkdale Avenue from Orange Grove to 24th Avenue.
At the traffic circle, the Mercedes went off the road between two stop signs and onto the sidewalk, the report indicates. The car drove on the lawn at 821 SE 24th Ave., coming to a stop. The witness went to the Mercedes, put the vehicle in park and removed the key from the ignition.
When officers arrived, they found John M. Hutchinson, 64, of Cape Coral behind the wheel, the affidavit states. They said his eyes were bloodshot, he slurred his words and he swayed as he attempted to stand.
Among the field sobriety tests that Hutchinson agreed to, the officer started an alphabet recitation test.
"John stated that he had a master's degree and knew his alphabet," the officer reported. "... during the exercise, John did not recite the alphabet correctly nor did he stop at the correct letter."
Police said he registered blood-alcohol levels of 0.174 and 0.171. The legal limit for drunken driving is 0.08.
Hutchinson was released from Lee County on $1,000 bond on a charge of drunken driving with a blood-alcohol level of more than 0.15. He is due in court June 25.