A 58-year-old Minnesota man may be regretting his decision to go out for some fast food on the afternoon of Feb. 13. The Clearwater resident was taken into custody by Stearns County police on drunk driving and felony fleeing charges after allegedly attempting to elude officers in a chase that reached speeds of up to 85 mph. The man is said to have told the officers that he fled in order to reach his house so that his pickup truck would not be towed.
The series of events began at about 3:30 p.m. when police received a call from a concerned motorist. The caller told emergency dispatchers that a black pickup truck had run a red light after leaving a fast food restaurant drive-thru and was being driven erratically on State Road 75 in St. Cloud. When officers signaled the pickup truck to pull over, they say the vehicle sped up and even crossed the center line to avoid being stopped.
The brief pursuit is said to have come to an end when the pickup truck pulled into the driveway of a residence on Bluff Street in Clearwater. A breath test conducted at the scene allegedly determined that the driver’s blood alcohol concentration was .24 percent. This is three times the Minnesota legal driving limit of .08 percent. According to media reports, a records check revealed that the man has a prior drunk driving conviction and was behind the wheel without a valid driver’s license.
Attempting to flee law enforcement is almost never successful and will usually lead to additional charges and penalties. It could also make it more difficult for criminal defense attorneys to negotiate a favorable plea agreement. Instead, experienced attorneys may advise their clients to be polite to police officers, comply with their requests and ask to speak with a lawyer.
Source: Bring Me the News, “Minnesota man’s drunk-driving excuse? He wanted some McDonald’s”, Adam Uren, Feb. 15, 2019
Source: WJON, “Clearwater Man Arrested For Fleeing Police While Drunk”, Lee Voss, Feb. 14, 2019