April 15, 2015 at 4:37 p.m.
Georgia man accused of driving semi drunk from Merrill to Minocqua
Georgia man accused of driving semi drunk from Merrill to Minocqua
According to the criminal complaint, a trucking company contacted the Minocqua Police Department after receiving a report that one of its drivers, Lance S. Johnson, may be operating a company semi-truck while intoxicated.
The report came after Johnson allegedly "smelled of intoxicants and appeared to have poor coordination" when making a delivery at the Walmart in Merrill, according to the complaint.
The company told police that Johnson was next scheduled to make a delivery at the Walmart in Minocqua and that he wasn't answering his cellphone. Lincoln County deputies tried to stop the truck but were unable to locate it. Oneida County deputies were also on the lookout for the semi, but were also able to locate it.
At approximately 3:55 a.m., a Minocqua officer observed a truck matching the description of the semi Johnson was reported to be operating. The truck pulled into the loading area at the Minocqua Walmart. When the officer asked Johnson to step out of the truck, he demonstrated a lack of balance, had bloodshot eyes and smelled of intoxicants, the report says. He allegedly told the officer that he hadn't been drinking, but also allegedly failed the field sobriety tests the officer put him through.
After placing Johnson under arrest, the officer's report indicates he found two empty beer cans, an almost empty 1-liter bottle of vodka and a partial bottle of cranberry juice in the cab of the truck. A check of Johnson's Georgia Commercial Driver's License showed that it was expired, and that he had two previous OWI convictions in Georgia in 1991. After Johnson allegedly refused to submit to a blood test to check his blood alcohol concentration, a search warrant was obtained and the sample taken at 7 a.m. At booking four hours after the arrest, his blood alcohol level was calculated at .169, according to a preliminary breath test.
Johnson appeared before Branch II Judge Michael Bloom Friday afternoon to answer to a charge of OWI (#3). He was given an April 17 date for an adjourned initial appearance and was released after posting a $1,000 cash bond.
Jamie Taylor may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.