Woman With .45 BAC Found Parked In State Trooper's Driveway During Holidays
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A Freeborn county woman with a .45 blood alcohol concentration was found passed out in her car with the engine running over the holidays.
Apprehending the woman required little exertion: She had parked in a Minnesota state trooper's home driveway.
Rhonda Oquist's .45 BAC was the highest of all 2,537 motorists arrested across the state between Nov. 26 and the end 0f 2014, according to a release from the Department of Public Safety.
"Some might call it unlucky to pass out drunk in the driveway of a trooper, but this woman is very fortunate that she didn't injure or kill herself or another motorist," said Lt. Tiffani Nielson of the Minnesota State Patrol.
A Rise In DWI Arrests
Arrests of intoxicated drivers dropped in 2014 for the eighth year in a row.
Preliminary numbers show 24,159 DWI arrests in 2014, marking a continued, steady decline from the 41,951 arrests in 2006.
The lowered arrest figures reflect a real drop in drunk driving, the state patrol said.
The 81 deaths from drunk driving in 2013 are a 59 percent drop from the 196 deaths in 2003.
"Even though we are encouraged by the declining DWI numbers, one drunk driver is one too many," said Donna Berger, Office of Traffic Safety director.
History of DWI Arrests In Minnesota
| 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 |
| 24,159 | 25,719 | 28,418 | 29,257 | 29,918 | 32,756 | 35,794 | 38,669 | 41,951 |
Tips to Prevent Drunk Driving
The Department of Public Safety offers these tips to prevent drunk driving:
- Plan for a safe ride – designate a sober driver, use a cab/public transportation or stay at the location of the celebration.
- Offer to be a designated driver, or be available to pick up a loved one anytime, anywhere.
- Buckle up – the best defense against a drunk driver.