The crash with a school bus wasn’t his fault. But he was busted on a DUI

April 26--A Marathon man was accused of driving drunk after a school bus struck his car on U.S. 1.

No injuries were reported. The Monroe County School District bus driver was cited for causing the crash by failure to yield.

The bus, filled with 23 middle and high school students, was traveling west on 75th Street in Marathon on Tuesday afternoon when the driver, Timothy Hawkins Jr., 41, of Marathon, went to make a left turn onto U.S. 1.

Ramon Font, 51, was driving a 2002 Lexus north on U.S. 1 in the inside lane and Hawkins failed to see him as a second school bus was in the outside lane and had just stopped to let off students, according to the incident report by the Florida Highway Patrol. The right front of the bus hit the left side of the Lexus.

Hawkins told a trooper immediately after the crash he watched Font drink mouthwash he took from his glove box and light a cigar, FHP said. In his car, Font had two 8.5-ounce Listerine bottles -- one empty -- and four Busch beer cans. One was empty.

Hawkins was found to be at fault in the crash, police said.

Font was arrested and charged with DUI, DUI property damage, marijuana possession and drug paraphernalia, all misdemeanors.

On Thursday, Font remained locked up at the Stock Island Detention Center on $10,000 bond.

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