Louisiana treats any suspicion of intoxication behind the wheel very seriously, and those accused of such face considerable consequences. However, drivers do not necessarily have to be inside of a car, truck or SUV to be charged with drunk driving. For one man, sitting behind the wheel of a riding lawn mower was enough for charges to be filed against him.
Police claim that they first spotted the man around midnight. He was allegedly driving a riding lawn mower on a highway when he swerved out of the shoulder into the driving lane and then back to the shoulder. At that point police initiated a traffic stop.
When talking with police, the 59-year-old man supposedly admitted to drinking multiple beers earlier in the evening. He submitted to a breath test, which showed a blood-alcohol content much higher than the .08 percent legal limit. In addition to the .144 percent BAC he registered, police say that he performed poorly when undergoing field sobriety tests.
The man was arrested for a second offense of DWI and booked in a local jail, where his bail was set at $2,800. Typically, second-offense drunk driving charges are more serious than charges for first-time offenders. Consequences can range from longer jail times to steeper fines, and drivers may lose their driving privileges all over again. Minimizing the impact of these types of charges is essential, and most Louisiana defendants choose to carefully review all of their charges alongside an experienced counsel, who can help them determine how to best handle all criminal allegations.
