Blaine police arrest driver after measuring BAC level more than 6 times legal limit
BLAINE, Minn. -- Blaine police say that they arrested a man for driving while intoxicated after measuring a blood alcohol content strong enough to be considered potentially fatal.
The 30-year-old driver was approached by a Blaine officer on DWI enforcement patrol, after someone saw a vehicle stopped outside of a Circle Pines home for two hours.
The driver told the officer that he had been drinking a "large amount" of vodka prior to driving to the home. He refused sobriety tests, police said.
Paramedics came to the scene and evaluated the driver, who was then taken to the hospital in apparent "dire need of medical care."
Officers obtained a warrant to draw blood from the driver, which ultimately showed a 0.525 blood alcohol content.
That's more than six times the legal limit, but according to forensic science, it's also above the limit that medical experts consider potentially fatal, which is drawn at 0.4.
“Dead drunk" could have had a literal meaning for a 30yo driver when he was arrested for DWI by @BlainePoliceMN w/ a blood alcohol content of .525 – more than 6X the legal limit. He was lucky his decision to drink and drive didn’t take a life that day. #DriveSober. #DriveSmart.
— MN Traffic Safety (@MnDPS_OTS) July 14, 2022
The legal limit for blood alcohol content in Minnesota is 0.08.
The case has been turned over to the Anoka County Attorney's Office for consideration of criminal charges. The driver has a prior DWI conviction on his record from 2017.