WAUPACA, Wis. — A Wisconsin man is accused of testing 21 times above his legal, restricted alcohol limit, authorities said.
The legal limit for alcohol in Wisconsin is .08 while operating a vehicle, but investigators said the 41-year-old driver had a previous arrest for operating a vehicle while intoxicated and was restricted to having a .02 BAC.
According to the Waupaca County Sheriff’s Office, the man, whose identity was not released, registered a .427 blood alcohol content level after a preliminary breath test.
The sheriff’s office responded to a call on Jan. 12 at about 6:09 p.m. CT after receiving reports of a driver swerving on U.S. 10. Deputies said the motorist “had significant varying speeds” and nearly struck a guardrail.
After conducting a traffic stop, deputies reported that they could smell a strong odor of alcohol and observed other signs of intoxication. The motorist was arrested on charges of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, second offense; failure to install an ignition interlock device; and operating after revocation.
Because of the man’s high BAC, he was transported to an area hospital shortly after his arrest, the sheriff’s office said.