POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Palmetto woman faces multiple charges after deputies found her sitting beside her crashed car near a local golf resort, surrounded by dozens of empty and open miniature alcohol bottles.
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office responded to a single-vehicle crash on May 14, 2026, at approximately 6:54 p.m. near the Streamsong Golf Resort, close to Bowling Green. Upon arrival, a deputy discovered a red 2018 Hyundai positioned on a sidewalk with a woman sitting next to it.
Authorities identified the woman as 34-year-old Erika Mayer of Palmetto. While Mayer was uninjured, responding deputies noted that she was incoherent, lacked balance, and had slurred speech. A witness at the scene reported observing Mayer driving her vehicle across one of the resort’s golf courses prior to the arrival of law enforcement.
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According to deputies, Mayer stated she had not consumed any alcohol, though deputies reported smelling the odor of alcohol on her breath. A subsequent search of her vehicle revealed an unopened 10-pack of 50-milliliter Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey bottles, 21 open 50-milliliter bottles of Fireball, and two empty 50-milliliter bottles of 99 Brand liqueurs.
Mayer refused to participate in Standardized Field Sobriety Tests and declined to provide breath samples to determine her blood-alcohol content. Investigators noted that she claimed her refusal was based on advice from friends and social media platforms.
Following the investigation, Mayer was arrested and booked into jail. She has been charged with Driving Under the Influence (second-degree misdemeanor), DUI with Property Damage (first-degree misdemeanor), and Refusing to Submit to a DUI Test (second-degree misdemeanor). Law enforcement also issued citations for Failure to Drive in a Single Lane and possession of an Open Container within a Vehicle.
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