Lawnmowers and Swimming Pools – The Latest ‘Vehicles’ in DUI Related Offenses
People are used to drunk driving accidents caused by cars, SUVs, RVs, and commercial vehicles. However, a 53-year-old man from Greeley in north Colorado gives residents more reason to worry. Kenneth Welton faces a misdemeanor DUI charge for barhopping aboard a lawnmower. According to the Weld County District Attorney’s Office, the accused was arrested on Tuesday night after witnesses spotted him riding a lawnmower along Eighth Avenue in the wrong direction.
A lawnmower!
According to police sources, Welton appeared to have bloodshot eyes and although his breath was reeking of alcohol he refused a roadside sobriety test. Although his speech was slurred and motor skills impaired the accused insisted he had only two drinks. His excuse for riding a lawnmower on the motorway going the wrong way was enough to have even drunk driving accident lawyers most bewildered.
He told 9NEWS reporters he was only trying to ‘help’ by cutting roadside weeds with his nephew’s lawnmower. Welton went on to claim that he never drove the Craftsman lawnmower under influence and only stopped at a bar for a couple of drinks after the lawnmower broke down. He said he was waiting for a ride to come pick him up. Welton has a record of traffic offenses and has been charged with multiple DUIs and driving with a revoked license.
The cost for a Colorado DUI
Under Colorado DUI laws, the accused can face up to 1 year in prison under Colorado DUI laws. According to drunk driving accident attorneys, third time offenders are also liable to pay a fine of up to $1,500 and have their driving license suspended for two years. Drivers with a BAC or blood alcohol content of 0.08% can be charged with DUI in the state. The limit for drivers under 21 year old is 0.02%. First time offenders can face a prison term of up to 1 year along with a $1,000 fine and 9-month suspension of their driver’s license.
Those charged for the second time potentially face up to 1 year in jail along with a $1,500 fine and have their license revoked for up to one year. The penalties increase significantly for repeated offenses. In some cases, Colorado DUI laws mandate the installation of an ignition interlock device so that the car won’t turn on if the device detects a specific percentage of BAC. However, the costs involved are much higher, which can be over $10,000 including lawyer fees, insurance, fees to get back the driver’s license, probation supervision fees, court fees, and more.
This is not how you wash a car.Car pooling of a different kind
Recently, in Barrington Hills, just northwest of Chicago in the state of Illinois, a 30 year old man took the meaning of carpooling too seriously. Bikramjit S. Sian of Schaumburg, who was driving under influence, drove his silver 2006 Honda Coupe straight through the backyard and into the swimming pool of a home at 5 Longmeadow Court. Luckily, no one was present in the pool at the time. People residing in the house were awake at the time and watched the entire accident unfold before they called the police. The homeowner managed to pull Sian out of the car to safety. Sian was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. He failed the blood test, registering a BAC of 0.08 or more. In addition, the police slapped another charge for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
Cars don’t swim!
Sian wasn’t injured in the crash but was taken by the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BHPD) to St. Alexius Medical Center while his Honda coupe was pulled out of the pool. The accused told police there were three other occupants in the vehicle. However, it was determined that Sian was the sole occupant when it crashed into pool. Drivers arrested under Illinois DUI law face two types of charges. They face an administrative review for driving privileges, and a criminal case to determine the extent of punishment. This is a speedy process which makes it prudent to hire well qualified drunk driving accident attorneys as soon as you face charges.
