I’m sure if you’re a seasoned police officer, you’ve heard every excuse in the book. From, “I wasn’t speeding, my car was just enthusiastic” to “My coffee spilled and I had to drive faster to get napkins!” But I highly doubt that Clay County Sheriff’s deputies expected to hear a Florida driver say, “The squirrel was eating me!”

On a regular old September day, one Florida driver was swerving all over the road. The Clay County Sheriff’s Office said, “His driving was so bad, other motorists were calling in to report him.” So, of course, the department sent out a deputy to investigate.

When the deputy caught up with the truck, it was drifting in and out of lanes and narrowly missing parked cars. The Sheriff’s Office added, “He was weaving all over the road and nearly caused an accident before we pulled him over.”

You can imagine the officer’s surprise when, after pulling the truck over, he was greeted not just by the driver—23-year-old Derek James Foreman—but also by an unexpected passenger. Tucked inside Foreman’s shirt was none other than a live squirrel, and that’s when the story took a turn for the… weirder.

Foreman didn’t deny his erratic driving. Instead, he looked right at the deputy and said, “The squirrel was eating me, that’s why I was swerving.” Now, I’ve heard of shifting blame, but blaming a squirrel? That’s a new one. Even for Florida.

The officer in question, Clay County Sheriff’s Deputy R. Baker, noted in his report, “I had the defendant secure the squirrel and then exit the vehicle.” That might just be the first time those words have ever been penned in an official police document. I imagine having the squirrel secured was a relief to the officer—how do you handle a DUI stop with a rodent nibbling at the driver?

Police subjected Foreman to the usual field sobriety tests. The breathalyzer confirmed what the officer already suspected: alcohol, and not just a nibbly squirrel, was behind the driver’s dangerous antics.

In case you were worried about the squirrel’s fate, you can rest easy. “The squirrel was unharmed and released into the wild,” reported First Coast News. Foreman, however, wasn’t as lucky. “His escape was short-lived,” according to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. He was arrested on the spot and charged with DUI and reckless driving. The squirrel may have avoided legal consequences, but it couldn’t save Foreman from a night in jail.

This story hit the news like wildfire. After all, who wouldn’t be intrigued by the headline “Man Blames DUI on Pet Squirrel?” It even sparked a viral moment, with people from all over shaking their heads and laughing at the latest oddball event out of the Sunshine State.

In the end, the squirrel was freed, Foreman was booked, and the rest of us got one more entry in the long list of wild Florida Man tales. As they say, you can’t make this stuff up—especially in Florida.