Just an amusing DUI story to lighten up the thread a bit. My friend once had to defend a guy for a drunk driving conviction that this happened to; The guy was out drinking with his buddys and had too much to drink so they all piled in a cab to take him home. He was passed out and they didn't want to bring him to the door and face his wife so they just stuck him in his car. Apparently he rolled over or something and released the parking brake, the car rolled down the drive and hit a tree across the street. He still didn't wake up until the cops came by and the keys were in the ignition so he was charged. He was also found guilty since he failed to put up a decent defense.
By the way this guy seldom drank, it was a bachelor party. Should we still lop off his head in the town square?

 

Wow, they shoulda just left him on the lawn...no, he'd have gotten a public drunk ticket for that...poor guy.
He should have gotten some of his helpful buddies in court with him. Granted it would seem an unlikely story to a judge, but with enough witnesses (even the cabbie?) he may have gotten the charges reduced.

 

About a year ago on this site a guy from Ohio I think it was got a DUI on his lawnmower. He had a ride-on with cup holders, crossed the street on the thing to get the mail and a cop driving by saw a beer in the cupholder. Doesn't make DUI okay but that's messed up.

If you refuse the breathalyzer in my state the penalty is worse than DUI (longer suspension, more fines, same school/counseling)
If you're under the legal limit but the cop says you're impaired you still get a DUI.
If you have NO alcohol in your system only aspirin or other legal drugs and the cop says you're impaired you still get a DUI.
The law is very clear an impaired driver under the influence of anything can constitute a DUI.

- about sleeping it off in your car: the law in Florida is only concerned about if the "subject has/had physical control of the keys to operate a motor vehicle"
and means if you have the ignition key locked in the trunk and the trunk key in your pocket you get a DUI.

I'm not saying DUI is great let's run right out and get one, I'm saying you take the good with the bad.

 

Physically in conrol in most states is the key in the ignition or on your person. Although I in no way reccomend driving under the influence, if you do find yourself in your car while in that condition, throw the keys under the seat. My dad got a DWI one while asleep in the truck. He had been to the livestock auction and sold his calves. After having cocktails he started for home and realized he was in no condition to drive so he pulled about 100 yards off the road into an alfalfa field to slepp it off. He got arrested because the keys were in the ignition. This can even happen if you are on your own land, you don't have to be on a public road.

Another amusing DUI story; In the small town where I grew up, a local man who frequented the bars was quite tipsey and had locked himself out of the car with the engine running. It was in the early evening and right on main street. He got charged and convicted when the local police came by and observed him trying to coathanger his door open (unsuccessfully).

These incidents happened many years ago, but when I grew up in the late 60s-early70s there was a lot more tolerance, unfortunately. Maybe if they had been tougher back then a few of the people I knew would be alive, or not paralized for life. Even as teenagers when you got caught with beer by the cops all they would do was dump out your beer and send you home, although I doubt they would have sent and obviously drunk kid to drive.

 

Willow, I'm not up on drinking and driving laws but I was under the impression that you could drive on your own property drunk as you wanted and nobody could do anything as long as you didn't hurt someone. I can spin donuts and drive fast on my own property and the cops can't do a thing about it. Why is drinking different?

A guy I work with just picked up his 2nd DUI. He went to try and get a work driving permit and was mad when the judge said no. He thinks its BS. I just shook my head and didn't say anything. He also think he shouldn't have to take 40 hours of AA. Some people just don't get it. At leat he isn't driving with out his license.

I like chain gangs. A few years ago drving through some states I saw a couple of chain gangs working hard in 100f days. A smile broke across my face.

When my mom caused a crash on morning on her way to work she asked for a breathalizer just so no one could come back and accuse her of drinking. Pretty smart in my book.

As for the breat test and alcohol level. Well since I rarely drink if I take a beer down fast I'll feel it. I don't think I'm over the limit but I know I shouldn't drive. I have a lot to lose if I get a DWI. I also don't get it why some people need to drink while snowmachining. Its already dangerous enough. And if you hit me and I can still function you better run.

 

Some of those laws vary from state to state. I am not sure about Alaska.
Speaking of drinking and snowmobiling, I was at the Arctic man a few years ago and some drunk guy was going about 90 or so down through the campers and hit a trailer. End of his drinking problem.
I worked at an ATV and snowmobile dealersip a few years ago near Wasilla and at least once a month someone would buy a 4 wheeler because they had their drivers license revoked for DUI. Around there you can ride anywhere in the ditches and even though you can still get a DUI on a wheeler, few people get pulled over unless they hit a car or something.

 

I know 2 people that picked up DWI's while at Arctic Man.

I remember that guy that died. Someone dies there almost every year seems like.

Half of all the vehicles in Wasilla are 4 wheelers and snowmachines. Up here in Fairbanks the troopers have sled with lights on them. And not slow sleds either. I'd never try to run from them if there on the chase sled. You better have one hell of speed machine and know how to ride it well if your going to run.

It seems that the first offense here in AK for DWI is just a slap on the wrist. 72 hours in the pen, 90 days no license, and I think a $1,000.00 fine. + you can get a work driving permit.

 

Yeah, like that one clown that was highmarking at arctic man and cut a small avalanche loose. It only buried him to the waist and he thought it was funny. A couple tries later he cut a big one loose and it got him. I am not sure if he was drunk but it seems like almost everyone there is at night. One big party. I went to do some riding but most of the other willowbillys were too hung over during the day. The guys I went with were having a few beers and we had to go check out the beer tent. It didn't take me long to get out of that chaos. !40 horse sled with an IQ of 90 and a blood alcohol of .20= diaster. It's amazing they don't kill more than they do.

 

my house is kind of a magnet for drunk driving accidents for some reason.

A while i went out to get the mail around 1 in the afternoon....and i noticed a 80's model f-250 was parked in my ditch. I walked inside and asked my brother "umm...you know there's a truck in our ditch?" He's a firefighter, that day was his only off day for the week. He went out and investigated. He came inside and told me there was some old lady sleeping on the bench, he said she was really rude to him when he asked if she was hurt or anything. He said the truck smelled like a brewery, so he called the cops.

I was watching the truck from my window, and another old trashy truck pulled up. This guy got out and started talking to her, she got out of her truck and got into his and pulled off. I got the license number of that truck. So the cops show up, notice there's beer cans and drugs all over the truck. I give them a description and all that, one of the cops cuts his finger on the rusty tailgate of the car. So nothing ever comes of it, some wrecker was suppose to come and tow the truck away but it stayed in our ditch for about 4 days.

Then one day, this lady comes by our house; VERY pissed off. She starts shouting that we stole her truck and wrecked it and she wants to be reimbursed for it. I said "sure thing, let me get my checkbook" and went inside and called the cops. Only took them about a minute to get there.