A Lantana man who has been found guilty of driving under the influence five times was arrested Friday after he was found driving with a permanently revoked driver’s license and with a blood alcohol level nearly three times the legal limit, according to an arrest report.
Michael Joseph Gaertner
Michael Joseph Gaertner is facing a charge of DUI (fourth or subsequent offense) and driving with a revoked license. Gaertner, 56, was released from the Palm Beach County Jail Sunday after posting a $6,000 bond.
Gaertner was stopped Friday night after he was seen driving over the speed limit and “rapidly changing lanes” while weaving through traffic south on South Jog Road near the intersection of Cresthaven Boulevard in Greenacres, the report said.
Asked why he was driving recklessly, Gaertner “just shrugged his shoulders,” a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputy wrote in an arrest report.
When told PBSOto produce his driver’s license, Gaertner responded that he couldn’t because he didn’t have one. The deputy detected a “strong odor” of alcohol on Gaertner’s breath. The report notes that Gaertner was barely able to stand on his two feet without falling and was unable to complete the roadside tests.
Gaertner told deputies that he had two drinks at a lounge on Okeechobee Boulevard.
A blood alcohol test showed Gaertner’s readings to be .237 and .231, nearly three times the legal limit of .08.
Court records show that Gaertner was found guilty of driving under the influence in 1998, 2002, 2004. 2006 and 2008. He was sentenced to 366 days in prison and had his driver’s license permanently revoked for the 2008 conviction. Gaertner was also found guilty of driving with a revoked license in 2006.
