Bartram Trail High volunteer football coach charged with DUI

28-year-old's volunteer status has been revoked, district says

Booking photo of Darius Lawrence

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A 28-year-old assistant coach with the Bartram Trail High School football team had his volunteer status revoked after he was arrested early Saturday morning on a DUI charge.

Darius David Lawrence was pulled over in his Dodge Charger just before 3 a.m. Saturday on Solano Road after a St. Johns County deputy clocked him going 60 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to his arrest report.

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The deputy noted in the report that Lawrence smelled strongly of alcohol and marijuana, his speech was slightly slurred and his eyes were watery and bloodshot.

Lawrence, who played defensive back for Bartram Trail during high school, at first refused to get out of his car for a field sobriety test and locked the door, the deputy said.

Eventually, Lawrence got out, but was unsteady on his feet, according to the report.

Lawrence told the deputy he had not consumed any alcoholic beverages or prescription or recreational narcotics that night, but he performed poorly on all field sobriety tests with “numerous indicators of impairment,” according to the report.

Lawrence did not provide a breath sample to authorities.

A glass pipe, 5 grams of marijuana and a metal grinder were found in his car, deputies said.

He was released on $1,000 bond.

A St. Johns County School District spokeswoman said Lawrence had been a volunteer coach for three or four years with Bartram Trail's football team. She said he was never paid and his volunteer status has been revoked.