Charges: Drunk Driver Fell Asleep On I-494 In Inver Grove Heights
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A 33-year-old Minneapolis man is accused of drunk driving after being found asleep in his car with it stopped in the middle of Interstate 494 last week, according to charges filed Thursday in Dakota County Court.
Christopher Lee Weaver Adams was charged with two counts of first-degree DWI and driving after cancellation inimical to public safety in connection with the incident, which happened last Saturday in Inver Grove Heights.
According to the charges, a state trooper responded at about 3:41 a.m. to a stopped vehicle in the center lane of I-494 near Pieper Road in Inver Grove Heights. When the officer arrived, he spotted a red Ford Ranger with a trailer attached in the center lane, off with all its lights off.
The complaint states the trooper approached the vehicle and saw the driver slumped over fully-reclined in the driver's seat. He was identified as Adams. The officer tried to wake him up from outside the truck, but there was no response. He woke Adams up by opening the door and pulling on his arm. Adams smelled of alcohol.
According to the complaint, the trooper moved the vehicle to the shoulder before speaking with Adams, who said the last thing he remembered was being with his dad. He said he wasn't sure where he was coming from, didn't remember how he got there and thought he was still at home with his dad. He told the officer he had nothing to drink and didn't take any controlled substances. He was very confused and didn't realize he was stopped in the middle of the interstate.
Adams failed field sobriety tests and preliminary breath test showed a blood alcohol level of .14, nearly twice the legal limit for driving in Minnesota. Adams has three prior DWIs within the last 10 years and had his license revoked as a result.
If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison and more than $30,000 in fines.
