CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — A Charlotte County school assistant principal was arrested early Saturday morning on DUI charges after a witness reported seeing his vehicle driving erratically and crashing into a median sign before fleeing the scene.
43-year-old Nicholas P. Brown, 43 was arrested on Jan. 24 near Gasparilla Road and Marathon Boulevard in Port Charlotte after deputies responded to a reckless driving call.
According to a police report, a witness said they saw a gray Honda sedan swerving across Gasparilla Road near Rotonda Boulevard East, driving on the median, and striking a median separation sign before driving away. When deputies arrived, they said they found Brown's vehicle on the shoulder with rear quarter panel damage and a missing front bumper section.
The booking report said Brown identified himself as an assistant principal at a Charlotte County school and said he also worked as a bartender at the Gasparilla Inn. School records show he works at Charlotte High School.
"He initially admitted to having one drink, then to having more drinks than he should have without being able to specify an exact number," according to the arrest report.
Deputies said Brown had difficulty maintaining his balance when exiting his vehicle and detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverages. Brown agreed to field sobriety tests but failed all exercises, the police report said.
The sheriff's office said the damaged median sign and a piece of gray plastic with a Honda logo that matched Brown's missing bumper were found. They also found vehicle undercarriage pieces that the witness had observed Brown attempting to place in his trunk, deputies said.
Deputies said they found a THC vape cartridge in the driver's side door handle. Brown claimed it belonged to a friend but could not provide a coherent explanation for why it was in his vehicle, the sheriff's office said.
Brown initially refused a breathalyzer test but agreed on the second request, the report said. His blood alcohol content measured 0.189 and 0.181, more than twice the legal limit of 0.08, according to deputies.
Brown was charged with DUI with property damage, leaving the scene of a crash involving property damage, possession of a controlled substance without a prescription, and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also received a citation for refusing to accept and sign citations.
The school district provided the following statement:
The District is aware of the incident and is addressing the matter through the appropriate administrative process. Mr. Brown was placed on administrative leave effective Monday, January 26. Since this is an ongoing personnel matter, the District won't be able to comment further or release additional information at this time.
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