A routine Friday pickup at a Boca Raton private school took a sharp turn when staff and bystanders stopped a father they believed was too impaired to drive, leading to his arrest on a DUI accusation in the school parking lot.
Authorities identified the parent as 34-year-old Damian Reynolds and say he was detained at Donna Klein Jewish Academy after people on campus physically blocked his truck and staff called 911.
How Deputies Say It Unfolded
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office told CW34 that school staff believed Reynolds appeared impaired, smelled of alcohol and decided he should not leave with children in the vehicle. Witnesses in the pickup line allegedly used their own vehicles to block his truck in the parking lot until deputies arrived.
When deputies got there, they reported that Reynolds had trouble keeping his balance, slurred his speech and failed several field sobriety tests, according to the account provided to CW34. Reynolds refused a breath test, investigators said, and was taken into custody on an accusation of driving under the influence.
Refusing The Test: What It Can Cost You
Under Florida's implied consent law, simply saying no to a lawful breath, blood or urine test can come with its own set of penalties. Refusal can trigger an immediate administrative suspension of driving privileges, typically one year for a first refusal, according to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
Second or subsequent refusals can mean a longer suspension and potential misdemeanor charges. Those administrative consequences are separate from any criminal DUI case prosecutors may choose to file, and the refusal itself can be used as evidence in a DUI proceeding, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles notes.
School And Community
The incident unfolded at Donna Klein Jewish Academy, a private K through 12 day school in Boca Raton. The school's Donna Klein Jewish Academy website highlights its Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Campus and the educational and community programs based there.
Deputies credited school staff and bystanders with keeping the vehicle from leaving the grounds while they responded. Court records will ultimately spell out whether prosecutors decide to pursue any charges beyond the initial DUI accusation.
