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Man, 81, arrested on DUI charge after crash that killed motorcyclist in Boynton Beach

Richard Sullivan smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot eyes, police say
Richard Sullivan, DUI arrest
Posted at 12:52 PM, Nov 23, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-23 12:52:12-05

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. — An 81-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after a crash that killed a motorcyclist Sunday night in Boynton Beach.

Richard Sullivan faces a charge of driving under the influence.

According to a Boynton Beach police report, Sullivan was returning from dinner when his Cadilac XT6 collided with a Suzuki motorcycle at the intersection of Ocean Avenue and Federal Highway just before 6 p.m.

The driver of the motorcycle, Neuvaneide Bezerra, 58, of Deerfield Beach, was pronounced dead at Delray Medical Center.

According to the report, Sullivan's breath smelled of alcohol and his eyes were bloodshot.

Sullivan told police that he was turning left onto Ocean Avenue from Federal Highway when the motorcycle failed to stop at the red light.

According to the report, Sullivan claimed he had a glass of Tanqueray and water with dinner.

When he was asked if he'd be willing to submit to a roadside sobriety test, Sullivan "didn't understand the question," Officer Dennis Castro wrote in his arrest report.

"Sullivan asked if I was requesting him to drive my police car around to see him drive," Castro wrote.

According to the report, Sullivan told police he wasn't sure if he'd be able to do the exercises because standing for long periods of time caused his legs below his knee to go numb. However, Castro noted that Sullivan had been standing around near the crash scene for about two hours during the investigation.

Police said Sullivan failed the roadside exercises and had a blood-alcohol level of .075-.08% at the time of the crash.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.