Davie council candidate Jordan Nelson faces DUI charges after crashing into guardrail, utility pole
A candidate running for the Davie Town Council was arrested last week on DUI-related charges after police said he crashed a pickup truck into a guardrail and utility pole, then registered breath-alcohol levels more than twice Florida's legal limit, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Jordan Nelson, 36, a candidate for the District 3 council seat, was arrested by Davie police early Friday, Sept. 25, following a single-vehicle crash near Hiatus Road and Orange Drive, the report said. Nelson is charged with DUI, DUI with a blood-alcohol level above .15 and DUI with property damage.
The Town of Davie's website lists Nelson as one of four qualified candidates seeking the District 3 seat in the Nov. 3 municipal election.
Davie police say Nelson showed several signs of impairment
According to the affidavit, an officer responding to the crash found Nelson sitting in the driver's seat of a blue 2017 Ford F-150. The truck still had its keys in the ignition and had crashed into a guardrail, knocking over a power line.
The officer wrote that he immediately smelled what he described as the "strong smell associated with an alcoholic beverage" coming from Nelson's breath and face. Nelson's eyes were red and glossy, and his speech was slurred, according to the affidavit. When asked where he was coming from, Nelson allegedly told the officer he was coming from "up the road."
The officer said he believed Nelson was under the influence and asked him to perform field sobriety exercises. During those exercises, police said Nelson showed six clues during the horizontal gaze nystagmus test, which checks for involuntary jerking of the eyes as a person follows an object from side to side. He also had difficulty during the walk-and-turn exercise, the report stated.
During a one-leg stand, Nelson allegedly swayed, raised his arms to maintain his balance and put his foot down several times before saying he no longer wanted to continue, according to the report.
Police arrested Nelson and took him to a Broward Sheriff's Office breath-alcohol testing facility, where the affidavit says two breath samples registered .173 and .163. Under Florida law, a breath-alcohol level of .08 or higher is unlawful.
Police estimated the crash caused about $6,500 in damage to a guardrail and $16,500 in damage to a utility pole, according to the affidavit.
Nelson has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Nelson's attorney also asked prosecutors to turn over evidence in the case, including statements, photographs and test results, according to a court filing submitted Tuesday.
Nelson is one of four candidates running for District 3
Nelson is running to represent District 3 on the five-member Town Council, which serves as Davie's legislative body.
On his campaign website, Nelson says he was raised in Davie and is running on a platform focused on government accountability, responsible use of taxpayer dollars and infrastructure improvements. His stated priorities include road and traffic improvements, sewer capacity and stormwater drainage as the town grows.
The District 3 race is scheduled to be decided as part of Davie's general municipal election on Nov. 3.