TAVARES – An 81-year-old man was arrested early Wednesday morning on a DUI manslaughter charge stemming from a fatal motorcycle crash in Tavares earlier this year.
A test came back this week reportedly showed the alcohol content level of James Hubert Osburn almost twice the legal limit, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Osburn, of Tavares, remained in the Lake County jail late Wednesday morning in lieu of $30,000 bail in the death of Gregory Brant.
A bottle of Fireball liquor reportedly also was found in Osburn’s vehicle.
The crash occurred sometime before 3:30 p.m. on March 12 on Flagship Avenue and State Road 19 in Tavares.
According to the affidavit, Brant was riding his motorcycle north on S.R. 19 as Osburn was traveling south. Osburn made a left turn, but into the path of Brant.
Brant struck Osburn’s passenger door and later died at Florida Hospital Waterman.
The affidavit adds Tavares police responding to the crash found Osburn in his vehicle trying to hide the bottle of alcohol behind his passenger seat. It also stated Osburn speech was slurred, he had been stumbling at the scene and a witnesses said he had spotted Osburn drive off the road several times before the crash.
Osburn claimed the motorcycle had veered into his lane and his last drink had been a Bloody Mary about 9 a.m. that morning.
According to the affidavit, police on Monday received Osburn’s medical records from the crash that showed his blood alcohol content level at 0.150.
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