Early on the morning of November 16, 33-year-old Mark Thomas Strickland, the wrestling coach at Poquoson High School, was arrested on misdemeanor driving under the influence and drug-related charges.
According to Poquoson Police Chief Cliff Bowen, shortly before 2 a.m., Strickland was pulled over after his vehicle flew past a police radar at a speed more than 20 mph over the limit in a residential area near his home.
Strickland was arrested in his home’s driveway on misdemeanor charges of DUI, refusal to submit to a breath test, reckless driving, possession of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, and having an open container of alcohol in a vehicle, according to Bowen.
According to Bowen, on the date of the arrest, there were two Poquoson police officers set up with a radar near the intersection of Little Florida and Odd roads who spotted a black Ford SUV speeding past at 48 mph in a 25 mph zone. After it stopped, the driver exited and approached the officers.
Bowen said that during a discussion about the vehicle’s speed, the driver’s mannerisms and an odor of alcohol led officers to ask him to perform a field sobriety test, which he failed. Bowen said that he refused a breath test, so his blood-alcohol level was not determined.
Inside the SUV, officers discovered at least one open container of alcohol, a pipe, and a small amount of marijuana.
Strickland was taken to Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail and released after posting a $3,500 bond.