Man Busted For Riding Segway Under Influence

OCTOBER 21--A man spotted riding a Segway in the wrong direction on a Florida road is facing a drunk driving charge, according to cops who report that the suspect admitted drinking nearly two bottles of wine before piloting the self-balancing vehicle.

Andy Sigears, 48, was busted Wednesday after a cop saw him “going head on” into cars on a road in Davenport, a city about 35 miles south of Orlando.

Sigears, who lives in Davenport, “made multiple spontaneous statements” about being drunk and being an alcoholic, a sheriff’s report notes.

Cops say Sigears smelled of booze and showed other signs of intoxication during field sobriety exercises. Subsequent tests showed Sigears’s breath alcohol level to be around three times the legal limit.

Sigears, who is listed as retired in court records, was charged with DUI. He was released Friday from the Polk County jail on the misdemeanor charge after posting $1000 bail.

Florida criminal statutes classify the Segway as a motor vehicle since it is “operated on the roads of this state, used to transport persons or property, and propelled by power other than muscular power.”

As a result of his collar, Sigears’s driving privileges were automatically suspended for six months (though a criminal citation indicates that he “does not have a driver license”). (2 pages)