A Michigan man was arrested for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, after originally being pulled over for lack of seat belt use and the failure to use a turn signal. A Fraser police officer stopped the man while he sat his driveway. Thereafter, it became immediately apparent that the man was operating his vehicle while visibly impaired. Reports state that the man was staggering and could barely stand up on his own. The officer also stated that the man smelled strongly of alcohol — further alluding to a case of drunk driving.
Once in custody, the man was given a breathalyzer test and blew nearly two times the legal limit for intoxication. After further investigation of the man, authorities discovered he had six prior drunk driving charges in Michigan. It has been claimed that the man’s arrest history began with an OWI citation in 1981 — his sixth arrest being in 1999. The most recent arrest makes number seven for the Fraser man.
The man’s fiancé claims he is a good man, and is simply depressed from being laid off from his automotive job three years ago. He was said to be driving home that morning from a local store with a newspaper so that he could peruse the classifieds for work. The man said that he hadn’t driven while impaired in 12 years, and that he merely made a mistake.
The officer credited with the arrest stated that the judge and the Michigan prosecutors are pushing to keep the charges as they are. As such, the man would be charged for operating while visibly impaired and would not have the charges reduced or dropped. The officer believes that the man will receive probation and a tether. He is currently being detained in the Macomb County Jail pending a $5,000 bond and will likely secure the services of an attorney experienced in DUI defense. A strong defense may be the man’s only hope for pulling his life back together.
Source: The WXYZ-TV, “Man arrested for his seventh drunk driving offense,” Julie Banovic, Aug. 31, 2011
