Reckless drunk driver found to have three children in the car

A Hialeah man was arrested Sunday for drunk reckless driving with children in the car with him.

Sheriff’s dispatchers received a report of a reckless driver southbound in Big Pine Key at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Deputy Ken Fricke spotted the 2015 Nissan passenger car on the Niles Channel Bridge, traveling 87 miles per hour in a 45 mile per hour zone. As Deputy Fricke turned around with his lights and siren on, the Nissan sped up and passed four cars in the center turn lane on Summerland Key. A number of vehicles had to pull to the side of the road to avoid a collision.

Deputy Fricke caught up with the car at the south end of Summerland Key when it turned right onto a dead end access road. The driver refused to follow instructions from the deputy, who could see children in the rear seat of the car.

The driver, 39 year old Ruben Aboy of Hialeah, smelled strongly of alcohol. He refused roadside sobriety exercises and refused a breathalyzer test. A second adult was in the car, sitting in the rear seat with a small child on her lap. The child was not in a car seat, as required by law. Two other older children were also in the car.

A check on the car’s license tag revealed it was a tow truck transporter tag. Aboy reportedly owns a tow truck company and said he decided to put the tag on the vehicle to come to the Keys for vacation. A check on his driver’s license revealed a previous driving under the influence charge and a restriction on his license only allowing travel to and from work, church and school. He was charged with both of those violations, along with driving under the influence of alcohol and child neglect, for driving dangerously with children in the vehicle. He also received citations for having no proof of insurance, refusing to submit to tests, passing in a no passing zone, speeding and having no proof of insurance.