Under the influence of drugs, a Georgia man drove the wrong way on Interstate 75 near Gainesville on Friday, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office said.
At about 5:26 a.m., an ACSO deputy traveling northbound saw Jeen Wu Park, 28, driving southbound on I-75 north of Northwest 39th Avenue. The officer turned on his emergency lights and pulled Park over — still facing the wrong way, according to the police report.
Park argued with police and said he thought he was in Georgia, according to the report.
For several minutes, Park insisted he was not traveling the wrong way on the highway and appeared confused, according to the report.
The officer observed Park grind his teeth and talk fast. Park had eyelid tremors, dilated pupils, facial twitching, exaggerated movements and muscle rigidity, according to the report.
Park told police he was prescribed methamphetamine salts, which is a common chemical in ADHD medication.
A deputy’s K-9 sniffed the exterior of the car and notified the deputy to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. ACSO found at least five types of narcotics, including D-Amphetamine Salt, Carisoprodol, Buspirone, Hydrocodone and Alprazolam, according to the report.
Park performed poorly on field sobriety exercises and refused to provide a urine sample, according to the report.
Police arrested Park on a charge of driving under the influence. Authorities took him to the Alachua County Jail, where he remains, as of press time, in lieu of a $2,000 bond.
mkornfield@alligator.org
@merylkornfield
