Mo. drunk driver loses $89 million lawsuit

In Franklin County, Mo., a jury has awarded $89 million to the family of Dennis Riegel Jr., a Washington man killed in a 2008 wreck. The other driver -- Troy Zerna -- has already been convicted and sentenced in criminal court. The attorney for the plaintiffs doubts they'll see a fraction of that $89 mil -- he says it's more a sign of the jury's disgust with drunken driving.

Naked-man story of the day (maybe even the month)

With the help of a helicopter, Anderson, Calif., police detained a "large, naked, hairy man" who fled from them Tuesday afternoon after he ran across Interstate 5 near the Balls Ferry Road offramp.

Don't skip the end of the story: This was not the first time a naked man has made news along Balls Ferry Road.

| Sara Shepherd

Grandma blew .415 BAC, Ohio cops say

Police say she was caught speeding and driving on a suspended license in a car without proper license plates. And her 5-year-old grandkiddo was along for the ride, they say.

4 DUI arrests during KCPD sobriety checkpoint

From KCPD: The Kansas City Missouri Police Department conducted a Sobriety Checkpoint on November 20, 2009 from 2300 hours to 0400 hours at I 70 & Prospect EB Exit Ramp, and I 70 & Van Brunt EB Exit Ramp. Eastbound traffic was checked with a total of 154 vehicles stopped. A total number of 4 DUI arrests were made, along with a Felony charge of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Resist Arrest.

Mo. pastor charged with DUI despite passing Breathalyzer test

Just a quick update from Neosho, where a pastor was charged with DUI despite a Breathalyzer test showing no alcohol in his system. The officer, however, says he did see the man's straddling the center line of the road, and the pastor reportedly had red eyes when he stopped -- which he blames on longstanding eye problems. He also failed the field sobriety test.

The pastor's wife addressed the city council to ask why it's taking so long for her husband's urine sample to be processed. (It's been about four months.) The police say the wait isn't out of the ordinary and hope to get results soon.

KCPD plans DUI checkpoint for this weekend

From KCPD: The Kansas City, Missouri Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on the weekend of 11-20-09 to 11-22-09 at a location in Kansas City, Missouri that is known for occurrence of DUI related crashes or DUI arrests.

4 DUI arrests during Independence checkpoint, saturation patrol

From IPD: The Independence Police Traffic Safety Unit conducted a sobriety checkpoint along Jackson Drive south of 39th Street while simultaneously conducting a DWI saturation patrol in that area. The saturation patrol began on Friday 11/13/09 at 10:00 PM and ended on Saturday 11/14/09 at 4:00 AM. The checkpoint was operated from 12:45 AM to 2:00 AM. The entire operation was staffed by (22) officers.

During the hours of operation, (75) cars were checked at the checkpoint and (53) cars were stopped during the saturation patrol with the following arrests and citations:

• (4) DWI [(0) from checkpoint, (4) from saturation patrol]
• (22) Hazardous Moving Violations
• (7) No Valid Driver License
• (17) Other Traffic Violations
• (13) Warrant Arrest
• (1) Felony Arrest
• (1) Drug Arrest

Drunken driver mistakes cop for Sonic carhop, Tenn. police say

In Elizabethton, Tenn., police were called to the local Sonic after callers reported an intoxicated driver, who pulled into the restaurant and then slumped over the wheel, the department alleges. When a police officer tried to wake her, the woman groggily handed the officer $20 -- and kept trying to hand over $20 -- because she apparently thought the cop was bringing her food, police allege.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, cripjak!

You mean it is crime to drive my John Deere drunk?

Ford Earl Broome, 63, of Export, Penn., is in trouble after taking his John Deere lawn tractor out on a beer run.

A trooper spotted him as he was allegedly on his way to a bar to buy beer. The trooper detected a strong odor of alcohol on Broome, who had glassy, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech.

Hat Tip: Keith G. in P.V.

| Bob Cronkleton

Accused drunken driver just can't stop talking

A Pueblo, Colo., police officer got an earful this morning after he pulled over a man on suspicion of driving drunk. The man just wouldn't shut up.

Some of the the things the man told the officer:

• He only had a couple of beers
• He didn't have a driver's license
• He didn't want his rings stolen.
• He had a gun in his sock (which wasn't found)
• He didn't speak English.

Story doesn't say whether the officer got the "buddy speech." You know the one, where your drunk friends slur their words as they say, "You know, you are my buddy . . ."

| Bob Cronkleton

'DWI chair' turns into a tough sell

A Milwaukee columnist offers this follow-up on the motorized recliner that 62-year-old Dennis LeRoy Anderson crashed into a parked car after it unexpectedly popped a wheelie. Anderson was busted for drunken driving, and a judge ordered the chair forfeited to police, who have been trying to sell it on eBay for more than a year.

Really, who wouldn't want a motorized combination recliner/lawn mower complete with stereo, cup holders and roll bar?

| Sara Shepherd

Study: Scotland needs more drunk tanks

Authorities say it will reduce pressure on over-full or expensive jail cells and hospital beds. Instead of sleeping it off there, the study says, maybe the drunks could be put into mobile buses until they sober up.

| Sara Shepherd

"Dude, I do this every night . . ."

That is what Zachary R. Duis, of northwest Indiana, told an officer after he was stopped on suspicion of drunken driving. Duis maintained that he was "straight up and not drunk."

A breath test disputed his claim allegedly showing that he had a blood-alcohol level almost four times the state's legal limit of .08 percent.

Hat tip to cripjak

| Bob Cronkleton

Intoxicated driver gets 4 years in KCK teen's death

Eric Snitz was sentenced Friday for involuntary manslaughter while under the influence. It was tied to a wreck on January 2008 that killed 17-year-old Christopher Brown, who attended Washington High. Dawn Bormann has the details here.

Can you hear me now?

From AP: Oregon police have charged a man with drunken driving after he called 911 to report his marijuana as stolen but the dispatcher couldn't understand him because he was vomiting while on the road.

Mo. wants to stop drunk drivers -- are ignition interlocks the answer?

Yesterday, Gov. Jay Nixon had a "DUI summit" to brainstorm ways to strengthen Missouri's laws against drunk driving, for possible inclusion in a bill next year, Jason Noble reports. The whole scheme of suspending drivers or taking away their licenses isn't working because a lot of the suspects just keep driving. Which is why some folks are suggesting the state require ignition interlocks in more cases. That, or the state should start seizing DUI convicts' cars.

The Human Breathalyzer, in all his glory

From AP: James P. Miller, 20, is shown Saturday, Oct. 31, 2009, in a police photo provided by the Oxford Ohio police department wearing a Halloween breathalyzer costume. Miller was arrested and charged with driving a vehicle while intoxicated after blowing a 0.158 on a breathalyzer test when he was stopped by Oxford police driving the wrong way on a one way street Halloween night. (AP Photo/Oxford Police Department)

How to fail your sobriety test -- spectacularly

From nwfdailynews.com:

Directed to do a one-leg stand, the woman "began to 'dance with the stars,' grabbed me and twirled herself several times and attempted to rub on my legs using her butt," the report said.

Doing the right thing isn't always easy

In Wichita, a daycare teacher reported her boss to the police because she feared the woman, who was driving a van full of kids, was intoxicated. The teacher did this even though she knew she'd almost certainly lose her job.

"I knew once I call, we're done," White said.

And she was right. The daycare has been closed. Nine employees have lost their jobs. But none of the kids got hurt, either.

Mo. governor planning DUI summit

That's what the P-D is reporting. The paper has done a series of reports about DUI suspects either getting easy plea deals or retaining their licenses despite refusing a Breathalyzer test. The summit -- aimed at fixing the system -- is scheduled Wednesday in Jeff City.

Charges in fatal DUI wreck in Independence

Kenneth Scott Blake II, 19, of Blue Springs, is facing a charge of involuntary manslaughter with a vehicle with a blood alcohol content of at least .18%. It stems from a wreck on Halloween night on U.S. 24 near Blue Mills road. From Independence PD:

Blake was operating a vehicle going the wrong direction westbound in the eastbound lanes of US24 when it struck another vehicle killing a passenger in the eastbound vehicle.

That passenger has been identified as Laura Beth Reynolds, a 16 year old resident of Independence, MO. The driver and another passenger of the eastbound vehicle were injured in the crash however their injuries were not life-threatening.

Man in Breathalyzer costume arrested for DUI, Ohio cops say

Why, yes, there is a photo.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Mad Matt in Mid Mo!

How some drunk drivers beat the system in Mo.

The Post-Dispatch had a piece this weekend about Missouri and how it handles DUI cases. Under the law, drivers are supposed to lose their licenses for a year if they refuse to take a Breathalyzer test. Only, those who refuse can appeal in court, and a lot of the time, at least in the St. Louis area, the prosecutors are willing to let them keep driving if they pay a fine. Which is probably a big time-saver for the attorneys -- and less so for those who get hit by these guys because they stay on the road. More details here.

Drunk driver calls 911 to report herself, Wis. cops say

She'd allegedly consumed seven or eight brandy-and-Cokes by the time she alerted the authorities, police say.

6 DUI arrests during KCPD sobriety checkpoint

From KCPD: The Kansas City Missouri Police Department conducted a Low Staffing Sobriety Checkpoint on October 30, 2009 from 2300 hours to 0400 hours at NB I 35 & Chouteau and NB I 35 & Brighton Exit Ramps. Northbound traffic was checked with a total of 243 vehicles stopped. A total number of 6 DUI arrests were made, along with 2 Driving While Suspended, 1 State Warrant for DUI, 1 State Warrant for Driving While Suspended, and 3 Hazardous Moving Violations.