By ZEINAB NAJM
Sunday Times Newspapers
ALLEN PARK — Police were dispatched to the area of eastbound Southfield Road near Luana Avenue Feb. 28 on a report of a single vehicle vehicle crash.
Dispatch advised that the black Ford Escape had struck a telephone pole and that the driver possibly was intoxicated. Upon arrival, officers observed the Escape facing north in the grassy median of eastbound Southfield Road near the intersection of Luana Avenue with heavy front damage. According to the report, it was apparent the vehicle was involved in a head-on crash with a telephone pole directly to where it came to rest.
When police approached the vehicle, they saw the driver’s side front window was rolled down approximately six inches and all airbags had been deployed.
While speaking to the driver, police noticed he was conscious and alert and was also able to open the driver’s door to exit without any assistance.First responders arrived at the scene, but the driver refused all medical treatment.
Police observed that the driver was unsteady on his feet and detected in overwhelming odor of intoxicants emitting from him. The driver’s eyes were bloodshot and watery and he continued to slur his words while speaking with first responders. He repeatedly asked, “What did I hit?”
Field sobriety tests were conducted, including a breathalyzer test which resulted in a blood-alcohol level of .20, almost three times the .08 legal limit in Michigan.
During an inventory search of the vehicle, police found a nearly empty 200-milliter bottle of Remy Martin cognac located on the passenger floorboard. The driver was arrested and cited for operating while intoxicated with BAC of 0.17 or higher, open intoxication in a motor vehicle and no proof of insurance.