During the summer months, many Minnesotans head out to campgrounds to enjoy the great outdoors and the nice weather. Recently, a Pelican Rapids woman has found herself facing accusations of DWI and other criminal conduct in relation to an alleged incident at a campground.
The campground in question is in Otter Tail County. Authorities claim that, in the early morning of June 22, the woman drove a vehicle at a high speed in the camping area of the campground. Authorities further allege that when a person took efforts to try to take away the keys of the vehicle from the woman and get her to stop driving, the woman engaged in conduct which caused this person to getting injured.
After police arrived in response to the alleged incident, they performed a preliminary breath test on the woman. The woman’s blood alcohol level tested at 0.189.
The woman was placed under arrest and has since been charged with gross misdemeanor DWI and three felony criminal charges.
As this case underscores, one of the tools police sometimes use when they think alcohol may have played a role in a particular driving incident are breath tests. One misconception people may have about breath tests is that they may think that if a person tests above the limit on such a test this means that they for sure were drunk and that they for sure will be convicted. However, breath tests are not always accurate. Errors in the administration of the test or the testing machines can sometimes cause the results to be off. Thus, there are circumstances under which the results of a breath test can be challenged. DWI defense attorneys can investigate the details of breath tests police administered in relation to a DWI case to see if any grounds for challenges exist.
Source: Fergus Falls Journal, “22-year-old charged after allegedly driving through campground, hitting woman,” Heather Rule, June 26, 2014
