By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
RIVERVIEW — A 28-year-old Trenton man was taken into custody the afternoon of Nov. 16 for operating under the influence of liquor and for lacking vehicle insurance after a traffic stop was initiated because of his speeding and swerving in the roadway while driving his black Mercedes Benz.
The driver, who was clocked doing 59 mph in a 25-mph zone near Quarry Road and Colvin Street, denied drinking earlier, but his speech was slurred and he smelled of intoxicants.
During verbal standardized field sobriety tests, he stopped midway and demanded his lawyer be contacted. He refused to submit to a preliminary breath test, so a search warrant was obtained for a blood draw, for which he was transported to a local hospital.
His vehicle was impounded and towed. Due to a prior “operating while impaired” offense, his license plate was confiscated and destroyed, and a paper plate was issued.
During booking at the police station, the man agreed to a preliminary breath test. The man had a blood-alcohol content of 0.189, more than twice the 0.08 limit for legally drunk in Michigan.