By Joey Flechas
St. Petersburg Times
LARGO — It is the third charge for the Largo man. The officer was not seriously injured.
A man was arrested early Wednesday and charged with driving under the influence after crashing into a police cruiser, authorities said.
According to arrest reports, Scott Patrick Renaud, 37, of 1001 Starkey Road in Largo was driving west in the 2000 block of East Bay Drive about 1 a.m. when he collided with a police cruiser that was traveling east in the median lane.
Officer David Green, who was behind the wheel of the cruiser, was taken to Largo Medical Center for evaluation. He did not suffer a major injury.
Police said Renaud’s eyes were red and glassy and his breath smelled of alcohol, but he refused to submit to field sobriety tests or a breath sample.
He was also charged with possession of a controlled substance after a white powder found in his pocket tested positive for cocaine, police said.
According to arrest reports, Renaud had been arrested Jan. 22 on a DUI charge in which he also refused to submit to testing. His license was suspended as a result, and he is now charged with driving with a suspended license.
According to court records, Renaud was convicted of DUI in February 2006 and received one year of probation.
Renaud was released from the Pinellas County Jail on Wednesday afternoon on $6,750 bail.