Florida elementary school teacher accused of drunkenly crashing car between classes
A Florida elementary school teacher has been arrested after he was involved in a drunken car crash in a campus parking lot, authorities say.
On the second day of classes at Explorer K-8 in Spring Hill, Philip Scire was arrested on Tuesday and later charged with driving under the influence, according to the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said they found the 32-year-old eighth-grade language arts teacher just before 11.45 a.m. unconscious behind the wheel of his vehicle in the aftermath of a “single-vehicle collision.”
The school resource deputy was first on the scene after Scire had driven his car into a fence in the school’s rear parking lot, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies said they found Scire surrounded by several empty single-serve alcohol containers within his reach. His vehicle was still in gear, they added.
The suspect was transported to a local hospital, where one deputy claimed that they could smell alcohol on the suspect’s breath.
Scire allegedly refused a deputy’s requests to take a test to measure his blood alcohol level or to detect chemical substances.
After being cleared by the hospital, Scire was transported to the Hernando County Detention Center, online jail records show. He is currently being held on a $1,000 bond.
The Hernando County School District stated to McClatchy News that Scire has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of an ongoing investigation.
The school district noted the crash was initially attributed to “a medical situation.”
Former students and parents of children Scire taught expressed shock over his arrest.
“He is the most amazing teacher, my heart is broken over this,” one person commented on the sheriff’s office Facebook post. “I am thankful nobody was hurt and that he is okay, I hope he gets the help he needs. He has made such a positive impact on my children’s lives.”
“He was my teacher a couple years ago, he’s an amazing teacher and an amazing person,” another added.
Scire had gotten married in March and was expecting a child in late July, according to his Facebook page.
More than a decade ago, in 2014, he was arrested on a DUI charge in Broward County, according to the HCSO.
After graduating from Florida Atlantic University, Scire worked as a bartender before becoming a teacher in the summer of 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile.
