A 27-year-old Poulsbo man was charged with driving under the influence, operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device, and second-degree driving with a suspended license after he was seen driving recklessly across Bainbridge Island and nearly causing a collision on Highway 305.
The Poulsbo man was arrested by a deputy with the Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office just after 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Police were alerted to the man’s errant driving by a Seattle man who was traveling north on Highway 305 across Bainbridge the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 24.
The witness reported a gray or beige SUV that had just passed Day Road on Highway 305, and the witness said the driver of the SUV had crossed a double yellow line to pass him and two other vehicles in a no-passing zone. The witness said other drivers were forced to the side of the road to avoid a collision, and the witness said the driver of the SUV then started to tailgate the vehicle that was in front of him.
The driver then passed two other vehicles in a no-passing zone on the highway near Hidden Cove Road, according to the witness.
The witness followed the vehicle off the island, and saw the driver pull into the Chevron Station at Suquamish Way and Division Avenue NE.
Suquamish police caught up with the driver not far from the Chevron station, and called for assistance after the man was pulled over and became uncooperative with police.
A Suquamish officer said the man was speeding in his Isuzu Rodeo SUV before he was stopped by police.
Police soon discovered the man had three previous DUIs. Officers at the scene called for a trooper with the Washington State Patrol to come investigate the DUI, but without being asked, the driver said he was not going to perform any field sobriety tests.
He again refused to take sobriety tests, and was arrested for DUI.
According to the investigation report, the driver then began to cry and said, “I am going to prison.”
Kitsap Towing was called to impound the man’s SUV.
The driver was then taken to Kitsap County Jail for processing, and, once there, he asked for an attorney.
After an 8-minute phone call with an attorney, the man said he was still confused about what to do. He was given a phone book and a chance to call another lawyer, and after a subsequent conversation with that attorney, he agreed to take a breath test.
Breath tests had results of .128 and .114.
The man was booked into Kitsap County Jail for DUI and the two other misdemeanor charges. No bail amount was set; the driver had two prior charges of failure to appear in court/contempt of court.
The man was charged on Dec. 27 in Kitsap County District Court on the three criminal charges, and he remained in jail this week, with his next court date set for Jan. 25.
Conviction of driving under the influence can result in a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine. Conviction of operating a motor vehicle without an ignition interlock device can carry a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
The maximum penalty for second-degree driving with a suspended license is also 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine.
