City Employee Charged with DUI

Lina Upham, Purchasing and Risk Manager/Deputy City Clerk for the City of Marco Island, was arrested Saturday, July 7 and charged with a first offense DUI.

According to the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Report, one witness claimed that Upham was driving northbound on Collier Boulevard when she “crossed over the median into oncoming traffic and struck the mangroves” on the other side of the road, partially submerging her 2013 Cadillac SUV in the water.

The report states that a Good Samaritan assisted Upham out of her vehicle. One witness at the scene stated that he “smelled alcohol” on Upham and she appeared to have an “unsteady gaze and balance.” A second witness alleges that Upham said, “I should not have been driving.”

Upham was transported to the Physicians Regional Medical Center in Naples for evaluation.

According to the Sheriff’s report, while speaking to Upham at the hospital, deputies could smell alcohol emanating from her breath. They also noted that her eyes were bloodshot and glassy and her speech was slurred.

While speaking with deputies, Upham suddenly pulled the IV out of her arm and attempted to leave the hospital room.

The hospital staff took a procedural blood sample and advised deputies that Upham’s blood alcohol level was .318. Florida drunk driving laws prohibit operating a vehicle with a BAC (Blood Alcohol Concentration) of .08 and above.

Upham was placed under arrest for driving under the influence and transported to the Naples Jail Center. Once there, Upham refused to submit to a breath alcohol test.

Her misdemeanor arraignment is scheduled for August 1 at 8:30 AM.

Read the CCSO Report, below.