Drunk Driver Wakes Up in the Wrong Lawn, Admits to "7 Beers, 5 Years Ago"

A drunk driver who fell asleep in a lawn awoke to the rude surprise of a DUI arrest last Tuesday, University Place Police report.

Officers responded to the report of a suspicious motor vehicle collision on 29th St. W. at 11:15 p.m. on May 28, 2013.

A resident reported that there was a 1994 blue Pontiac Sunfire parked across the street at his neighbor’s house, with both tires on the grass. He said he walked up to the driver sleeping in the front seat and asked if he was OK. The man replied that he was, but seemed incoherent. 

Officers arrived to find the car’s lights and blinker on, although the car was turned off. The driver was sleeping in the front seat, surrounded by the overwhelming smell of alcohol. He looked to be in poor condition with slurred speech.

When asked if he’d been drinking, the man told the officer he had “seven beers, five years ago.” There was a bottle of vodka on the passenger floor board that was half full. 

While waiting for a WSP Trooper to conduct the sobriety test, the man got tired of waiting and put the keys in the ignition, attempting to leave the scene. The UP deputy had to secure the keys so he would not drive away. When the Trooper arrived, the man refused to participate in the field sobriety test.

Officers learned that the listed vehicle was reported for reckless driving south on Bridgeport Way from 27th S. W. prior to the incident. The man was arrested for DUI. 

Another DUI arrest worth noting:

At 1:24 a.m. on May 26, an officer spotted a vehicle making a right onto westbound 40th St. w. from Bridgeport Way. The car didn’t stop at the light—it slowed, but wasn’t even close to a “California stop,” the officer reported. The female driver admitted to drinking at a bar, after the officer asked about her Miller Lite bar wristband. She failed the sobriety test and was found to be over the legal limit. She was arrested for DUI.