Witnesses say a Greenfield man’s SUV crashed into a parked car recently in West Allis. Apparently, the 42-year-old continued driving after the collision, prompting a witness to flag down a police officer. The SUV driver was later arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated. If convicted, it would be his fourth OWI since 1993, and that means he could face up to roughly seven years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
With such heavy penalties, a close look at the circumstances of the arrest will be necessary to put forth a strong defense against the repeat OWI charge.
Following the crash, the police officer found the man’s SUV parked in front of a house. According to the police report, the officer told the man to stop when he saw him walking away from the vehicle. Apparently a chase ensued through several yards, and the Greenfield man was eventually arrested and taken to a local hospital for a blood-alcohol test.
The results of that test were not disclosed in a local report. However, the man who is now charged with drunk driving has previous convictions from 1993, 1997 and 2007. Wisconsin law doles out harsh penalties for OWI convictions, but those penalties are even stiffer when a person is convicted more than once within a 10-year span.
Still, the last thing a person who is accused of drunk driving should do is give up. There are defense options available, such as analyzing police reports and scrutinizing evidence to seek a reduction or dismissal of charges. In many cases, a favorable outcome is possible through an aggressive defense or a successful plea agreement.
Source: Greenfield Patch, “Greenfield Man Hits Parked Car, Charged With 4th OWI,” Joe Petrie, May 15, 2012