It was Sunday evening February 22nd, 2026, around 6:30 p.m., on a rural stretch of State Road 301 on the west side of Bunnell Florida. I was behind the wheel of "Big Red," my 1998 Ford F-150—a lifted, cherry-red 4x4 I’d personally

maintained through many "rodeos." Suddenly, the lug nuts on the front passenger side snapped. The wheel and tire sheared off, and the truck hit the pavement.I managed to bring the vehicle to a safe stop on the shoulder. I was only five minutes from home, but for me, those five minutes might as well have been five miles. I was only one month into life without the walker I had relied

on for over two years after being paralyzed by Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS). Between the GBS and a simultaneous Lyme disease flare-up, my body was already fighting dehydration and confusion. Walking along a dark, 60-mph highway frequented by semis wasn't just difficult; it was a death wish.

I sat in the cab, having called for a backup that never arrived. I left the engine running for warmth, unaware that a two-inch hole in the exhaust pipe was slowly filling the cab with carbon monoxide. Somewhere in those four hours of waiting, I slipped from exhaustion into a toxic stupor.

At 11:00 p.m., two deputies woke me. Disoriented, my first thought was:

Why are there cops in my bedroom? Then the reality of the dark highway flooded back. As I struggled to clear the "brain fog" from the fumes and my illness, the questioning began."Why are

your eyes so bloodshot?" one deputy asked.I gave her the honest, medical truth: "That’s normal

for me; I have Lyme disease." I explained my situation, my disability, and the fact that I had been waiting for help that hadn't come. But even as I spoke, I felt a shift in the air. I didn't feel like a citizen being rescued; I felt like "numbers" for a spreadsheet.The MisinterpretationIn my county, the Sheriff’s Office is known for what locals call "weekend roundups," where DUI arrests are posted to social media like trophies. Despite the visible evidence of a disabled vehicle—a truck

literally missing a wheel—the deputies didn't see a medical crisis or a roadside emergency. They saw a "groggy" person and a chance to hit a quota.I told them I had "bad legs." I told them I was a month out from paralysis. Yet, the demand for physical "exercises" was coming. The

deputies were looking for a criminal, and in doing so, they completely disregarded the ADA mandate to accommodate the very real, very visible physical limitations of a disabled driver.

As I sat in the cab of "Big Red," I tried to make the deputies see the physical reality of the situation. I pointed to the passenger side where the wheel was visibly missing from the front of my truck, he was 12 inches from it. This proved my truck was 100% inoperable. My vehicle was a hazard in need of a tow, not a crime scene in need of a DUI investigation. Instead of acknowledging the missing tire, they

ordered me out of the truck to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs).Under the

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), law enforcement agencies—which are considered "public entities"—are legally prohibited from discriminating against individuals based on their disability.

This includes a mandate to provide reasonable accommodations during testing. In my case, an

accommodation would have been recognizing that physical exercises like the "walk-and-turn" are inherently flawed for someone with my medical history.The Failure of AccommodationI told

them clearly: "I have bad legs." I explained that just a month prior, I given up my walker after years of paralysis from

Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).. Yet, they insisted on the exercises.When I attempted to comply and step down from the cab, my body gave out. I fell directly onto one of the deputies—not out of aggression or intoxication, but because my nervous system, ravaged by GBS and an active Lyme flare-up,simply could not hold me upright after sitting for 5 hours in one spot. Despite my physical fall and my explicit disclosures, the deputies demanded "proof" of my disability. They stated that "people lie." I looked at them, bewildered, and asked, "Who would lie about a disability?"According to ADA

guidelines, if a person states verbally that they have a mobility disability, it must be accepted as credible assurance unless they are observed doing something that clearly contradicts that claim—like running or jumping. Being unable to stand or walk after years of recovering from paralysis does not contradict a disability; it confirms it.

The validity of field sobriety tests is significantly compromised by medical conditions like Lyme disease and GBS. By forcing a disabled driver into physical

exercises they knew I couldn't perform, the deputies didn't just fail to help me—they violated the

core protections of the ADA.

I spent 4 days in jail being taunted and laughed at. I blew 0.00 and passed the Drug recognition Expert evaluation yet the courts are still prosecuting me and the judge allowed the attorney I some how found $1800 for to walk away since I asked her to file a motion for ADA accommodations since pretrial services are not accommodating my disability and the judge seemed to think they didn't have too yet I called the ADA Coordinator to file for one and never received a call back which led to a warrefor my arrest. At this time it has been past the 90 day window. They do not have any evidence and I am really confused why I am being treated as guilty of something I would not do to begin with. Im barely surviving my truck is in the shop I have to get a medical clearance from a doctor to get my driver license back since the public defender called me in for medical review since the state of Florida did not suspend me. I guess he thought he was going to teach me a lesson for sticking up for myself. My last pretrial hearing is July 1st and im out of money. Im trying to get my 1800 back. However I called 15 to 20 different attorneys and they all seem to of forgotten thier oath to the constitution and the citizens of the United States of America. The ethical oath. Greed is so evil and I see it everywhere. I just pray for us all to be kinder to each other.