Dangerous Drunk Driving Stories Recorded During Minnesota's Extra DWI Enforcement

More than 300 state law enforcement agencies participated in the extra enforcement campaign around Minnesota on weekends and holidays from Nov. 23 – Dec. 30, according to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. During the extra DWI enforcement campaign, agencies across the state made a total of 2,407 DWI arrests.

Police made an extra effort to keep drunk drivers off the road during the holiday season, when authorities traditionally see an uptick in drinking and driving offenses.

Here are some of the dangerous incidents police recorded during the extra holiday DWI enforcement period:

Drunk Driving Arrests

• On New Year’s Eve, a 40-year-old man was arrested for DWI after a Jordan police officer witnessed the driver going the wrong way and coming head-on toward his squad car. The intoxicated driver had an 11-year-old boy in his car and his blood alcohol content (BAC) was .25 at the time of the arrest.
• A Saint Paul officer was transporting his second DWI arrest of the night to jail when he observed another vehicle driving erratically. As he stopped the vehicle, the officer witnessed the driver and the passenger switching spots. Both driver and passenger were arrested for DWI.
• During an arrest, a Saint Paul officer’s squad car was hit by another vehicle, which fled the scene. Officers were able to stop the vehicle and found that the driver was drunk with a .245 BAC.
• In Spring Lake Park, a drunk driver drove through the garage of a residence, severely damaging the garage door and two vehicles inside. The driver fled but was eventually arrested.
• Police arrested a 16-year-old girl without a license who lost control of her vehicle in Dakota County. The driver told authorities she swerved to avoid a deer, but deputies said it was apparent she had also been drinking.

The highest blood-alcohol content (BAC) recorded in the state during this time was .38 in South St. Paul.

A total of 11 agencies reported a BAC of .30 or higher during Nov/Dec extra DWI enforcement. The agency that conducted the most arrests was the Minnesota State Patrol in District 2400 (Oakdale area). Troopers there arrested a total of 331 drivers, recording one driver with a BAC of 0.32.

BAC records by Agency

During the campaign, 11 agencies reported a BAC of .30 or higher. They included:

• South St. Paul (.38)
• Plymouth Police Department (.34)
• Carver County Sheriff's Office (.33)
• Kasson Police Department (.33)
• Minnesota State Patrol – District 2400 (Oakdale) (.32)
• Red Lake Law Enforcement (.32)
• Prior Lake Police Department (.32)
• Coon Rapids Police Department (.31)
• Alexandria Police Department (.30)
• Polk County Sheriff's Office (.30)
• Washington County Sheriff’s Office (.30)

DWI Arrests by Agency

In the Twin Cities metro area, agencies with the most DWI arrests during the campaign included:

• MN State Patrol - District 2400 (Oakdale) - 331
• MN State Patrol - District 2500 (Golden Valley) – 165
• Saint Paul Police Department – 61
• Minneapolis Police Department – 56
• Bloomington Police Department - 38

In Greater Minnesota, agencies with the most arrests included:

• MN State Patrol - District 2100 (Rochester) – 60
• MN State Patrol - District 2700 (Duluth) – 38
• Duluth Police Department – 33
• Rochester Police Department – 31
• St. Cloud Police Department – 28

DWI Consequences

• Loss of license for up to a year, thousands of dollars in costs and possible jail time.
• Repeat DWI offenders, as well as first-time offenders arrested at 0.16 and above alcohol concentration
• level, must use ignition interlock in order to regain legal driving privileges or face at least one year without a driver’s license. Offenders with three or more offenses are required to use interlock for three to six years, or they will never regain driving privileges.

If you encounter a dangerous or impaired driver on the road, authorities say you should give the vehicle space and call 911 immediately.

Image via Robbinsdale Police Department