NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A Volusia County paramedic is facing DUI charges after police said they found him passed out behind the wheel of a running car in New Smyrna Beach.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday, an officer approached a black 2021 Toyota sedan at North Dixie Freeway and Wayne Avenue, where he found the driver — later identified as Brandon James Berry, 32 — slumped over the wheel with the vehicle still running and in drive, according to an arrest affidavit.
Berry was removed from the vehicle after officers noted slurred speech, an odor of alcohol, and unsteady balance. While he spoke with investigators outside the car, another officer spotted a glass vial through the driver’s side window, which later tested positive for high-concentration THC, police said.
Berry claimed he had consumed two alcoholic beverages during a golf tournament at Turnbull Bay Preserve and said he could not obtain a medical marijuana card because of his profession, the affidavit states. He also identified himself as a paramedic for the Deltona Fire Department.
On Thursday, police released body camera video showing Berry’s arrest, where an officer can be heard saying, “Wake up,” and “You good?” to Berry when officers approached his vehicle.
Berry was transported to the hospital before he was booked into the Volusia County Branch Jail on three misdemeanor charges: DUI, refusal to submit to DUI testing, and possession of less than 20 grams of cannabis.