Minnesota police and courts take drinking and driving very seriously, and rightfully so. The decision to drink and drive can have devastating consequences for drivers, their passengers and anyone with whom they come into contact while on the roads. As a result, strict punitive measures are in place for those who make the decision to get behind the wheel after drinking. One man is currently facing felony DWI charges after police say that he was driving his truck while intoxicated.
A sheriff’s deputy alleges that he observed the man’s vehicle weaving and traveling below the speed limit in Le Sueur County. After the deputy activated his lights and siren, the driver did not pull the vehicle over for two miles. Once the deputy approached the truck, he reportedly smelled alcohol on the 35-year-old driver’s breath. That led to the man’s arrest for first-degree DWI and fleeing a police officer.
There is no report on how the man plans to answer to these charges. However, reports indicate that this is not his first brush with the law in regard to drinking and driving. He was convicted in 2004 for failing to submit to a breath test. In addition, he has two prior convictions for DWI, one in 2003 and another in 2009.
While the full range of details is not clear in this case, there are many instances in which a Minnesota resident with multiple prior DWI convictions will take a different approach to this type of arrest. For example, instead of fighting the charges, there are cases in which seeking a plea deal is the best possible course of action. Some individuals even choose to ask the court to impose addiction treatment as part of a plea deal in an attempt to gain control over a serious drinking problem. While this may not be the chosen path for the man in this example, it is an option that some may find helpful.
Source: southernminn.com, “COURT REPORT: Kilkenny man with prior DWIs arrested for drunk driving“, Suzanne Rook, Nov. 2, 2014