A man in Colorado was arrested on suspicion of DUI as he drove along 8th Avenue over in Garden City. He was apparently bar hopping, according to officers — driving from one establishment to the next. However, it wasn’t just his driving that drew the attention of law enforcement officials, but his vehicle of choice.
That vehicle was a riding lawnmower.
Police say that the man was drunk enough that he was having a lot of trouble standing when they pulled him over. They had been getting calls through the 911 line from other people who saw him driving down the side of the road.
The man, however, insists that it is a misunderstanding, saying that he was not really bar-hopping and that he was surprised to be arrested. He said that he was simply working, mowing the grass and trying to trim some weeds that had become overgrown. He denied the claims that he was using the mower strictly as transportation.
Police found that he had a suspended driver’s license.
The police did say that they felt the man was lucky not have been in an accident, pointing out that there have already been 25 fatal crashes in the area. They said that nine of those crashes had been related to the use of alcohol. This, they stated, was why they did not have any tolerance for situations of this type.
No matter what type of vehicle a person is driving when they are arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, they have a right to a fair trial and a chance to fight those charges if they desire to do so.
Source: CBS Denver, “DUI Suspect Pulled Over While Driving Lawnmower” Jul. 25, 2014
