A 26-year-old San Carlos Park man was pulled over on I-75 in Lee County Tuesday night after troopers clocked him going 94 mph, and what happened after the sedan stopped only deepened the trouble he's now facing. Ethan Ramirez allegedly abandoned the driver's seat and crawled into the back of the car, where a woman and an unrestrained child were sitting.
According to Gulf Coast News and Weather, Ramirez was accused of driving 94 mph near mile marker 120 before troopers stopped his sedan at 9:30 p.m. Troopers say he then left the driver's seat and climbed into the back, where the woman and child were seated.
Inside the vehicle, troopers reportedly found several closed beer bottles. The woman told troopers the group was coming from Hooters, the outlet's report states.
Impairment and Non-Compliance Alleged by Troopers
The Florida Highway Patrol said Ramirez showed signs of impairment and failed to comply with requests made during the stop, per the same account. Those allegations, along with the traffic stop itself, form the basis for the charges troopers ultimately filed against him.
Ramirez now faces charges of driving on a suspended license, DUI after refusing a breath sample, obstruction, and DUI with a passenger under 18 years old in the vehicle. These are accusations at this stage, not findings of guilt, and the case's current status has not been detailed.
What Florida Law Says About DUI With a Minor Aboard
Under Florida Statute 316.193, a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 or higher is a core DUI criterion, and the law identifies having someone under 18 in the vehicle at the time of the offense as a circumstance that can trigger enhanced penalties. The statute sets a fine of $1,000 to $2,000 for a first DUI conviction involving a minor passenger, though that describes the general penalty range rather than any outcome in Ramirez's case.
Separately, Florida Statute 322.34 makes knowingly driving on a canceled, suspended, or revoked license a second-degree misdemeanor, with steeper penalties for repeat offenses. Again, the statute lays out what the law allows, not how this particular charge will resolve.
A 2023 Lee County Chase Shows a Starker Extreme
High-speed stops aren't new to this stretch of I-75. In December 2023, WGCU reported that a 21-year-old woman was clocked driving as fast as 145 mph on I-75 in Lee County, with troopers saying she hit speeds above 120 mph near Colonial Boulevard while trying to evade a stop. Troopers eventually used a PIT maneuver to bring her BMW to a stop on State Road 82 near Griffin Drive, and she was booked on charges including DUI, fleeing and eluding, resisting without violence, and reckless driving. That case and Tuesday's arrest both unfolded on the same highway corridor, though the two incidents stand on their own and don't establish any broader pattern.
No court records, plea, or resolution of Ramirez's charges have been reported, and there's no independent confirmation beyond the Florida Highway Patrol's account relayed to Gulf Coast News and Weather. The woman in the back seat has not been named or charged in connection with the stop, based on what's been reported so far.
