A Florida woman may have to pony up after police busted her for riding a horse down a busy highway while intoxicated.
Polk County police arrested 53-year-old Donna Byrne and charged her with drunk driving after multiple drivers called 911 to report a woman on a horse was hoofing it down the highway.
Polk County Sheriff’s officials said in a news release that someone called 911 about a woman, who appeared confused and possibly in danger. When deputies arrived they found Byrne riding her horse in the road.
Officers did a sobriety test and said she gave breath samples that registered blood alcohol level of .161 — much higher than Florida’s legal limit of .08.
“Ms. Byrne was obviously not in any condition to be on the road,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said in a news release. “She not only put herself and the horse in danger, but also anyone who was driving on the road, which is typically very busy.”
Byrne was charged with DUI and animal neglect for endangering and failing to provide proper protection for the horse.
Deputies took the horse to the Polk County Sheriff’s Animal Control livestock facility. She was booked into the Polk County Jail. It’s unclear whether she retained an attorney.
According to police, Byrne has a prior criminal history that includes five felony and 10 misdemeanor charges, consisting of cruelty to animals, drug possession, probation violation, and criminal traffic.
