William Pritchett gets 7th DUI arrest after crashing car into mangroves

Deputies say Key West man smelled of alcohol, had urinated on himself

William Pritchett was arrested on suspicion of DUI for the seventh time.

KEY WEST, Fla. – A Key West man who crashed his car into some mangroves late Saturday night was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. It was his sixth DUI arrest, Monroe County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Becky Herrin said.

The crash was reported about 11:45 p.m. near Bahia Honda State Park. The callers who reported the crash said the driver was out of his car and didn't appear to be hurt.

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When a deputy arrived, he found the driver, William Pritchett, 45, leaning on his car, Herrin said.

Pritchett told the deputy that he hit a wet patch on the road and lost control of his 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier. He said he was on his way home after visiting friends in Marathon.

Herrin said Pritchett smelled of alcohol, appeared to be impaired and had urinated on himself.

Another deputy was called so they could perform a field sobriety test. Herrin said Pritchett failed the exercises and refused to take a breathalyzer test.

Pritchett showed deputies a Texas driver's license, even though he said he had lived in Key West for about six months, Herrin said. She said the car was his, but he didn't register it after buying it.

Inside the car, deputies found a cooler in the trunk with ice and two Heineken bottle caps in it.

A check of Pritchett's name revealed six prior DUI arrests, Herrin said.

Pritchett was also cited for careless driving resulting in a crash, failing to obtain a driver's license in Florida, attaching a tag not assigned, operating an unregistered vehicle and refusing to submit to a breath test after a driver's license suspension. He also faces five counts of resisting an officer by failing to sign criminal citations.


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