Habitual Traffic Offender Charged With DUI

A Sebring man who was arrested following a series of traffic offenses and a charge of driving under the influence with a revoked driver's license was free Tuesday on $1,500 bond.

Phillip Brian Theobald, 42, of 517 Blossom Drive, Sebring, had his driver's license revoked on Feb. 26, 2007 for 60 months as a habitual traffic offender.

He was also ticketed for running a stop sign, unlawful speed, driving on the wrong side of the road, running another stop sign and having an open container in the vehicle.

A Highlands County sheriff's deputy reported that at about 6:45 p.m. Saturday, he spotted a red 1998 Dodge pickup truck do a slow roll through a stop sign at Spring Lake Boulevard as it turned east on U.S. 98.

The truck quickly accelerated and reached 80 mph in a 55 mph zone as it approached the deputy's vehicle. The truck smoked its brakes and turned right on Floral Drive, the report stated.

The deputy noted seeing a single male driver and followed the truck.

The deputy could smell the odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from Theobald, the report stated.

Inside the truck the deputy found several containers of alcoholic beverages, one a quarter-full beer and several empty.

A sheriff's K-9 team arrived and a track was conducted from the truck's driver side door. The dog went to the back of the truck, then to the deputy's cruiser, where Theobald was waiting.

-JOE SEELIG