Truck driver faces charges under ‘super drunk’ law | Crime

FRENSHTOWN TOWNSHIP, MI (Toledo News Now) - On Thursday around 6:45 p.m., Monroe County dispatch broadcast a report of a semi driver who "smelled like alcohol" at the TA Travel Center on North Dixie Highway near Interstate 75 in Frenchtown Township. The caller thought it was suspicious and units responded.

Several minutes later, the driver was located putting gas into his truck at the truck stop. Authorities determined he was preparing for a trip across the country. They also noticed he was extremely intoxicated.

The driver was investigated and ultimately arrested by officers from the Motor Carrier Division of the Michigan State Police. The 42-year-old driver was taken to the Monroe County Jail, where a breath test revealed a blood alcohol content of .23 percent.

The legal limit for a truck driver in Michigan is .04 percent. Additionally, an individual cannot driver a large truck after drinking any alcohol within the previous four hours.

The driver could face harsher penalties under Michigan’s so-called “super drunk” law, which applies to drivers arrested with a blood alcohol content of .17 percent or higher.

Officers will be submitting charges to the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office. The man's semi truck was impounded and his company was advised of the circumstances.

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