A man in his mid-30s is facing a DUI case after police say he drove onto a sidewalk outside a gas station on Nevada Way with a child in the vehicle, registering a blood alcohol content of 0.315 — nearly four times Nevada's legal limit of 0.08. The sidewalk incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, and officers say the driver told them he had been drinking at Art in the Park before getting behind the wheel.
A Festival Weekend Turns Into a Roadside Emergency
Boulder City Police pulled the suspected drunk driver off the road after he drove onto the sidewalk near the gas station, according to FOX5 Vegas. Sergeant Jen Woolsey, who has served 20 years on the Boulder City force, said the reported 0.315 reading was among the highest she had heard of in her two decades on the job. Police have not publicly identified the driver.
The driver said he had been at Art in the Park before the stop, per the outlet's report attributing that account to Sergeant Woolsey. The festival, which marked its 62nd year in late September, is hosted by the Boulder City Hospital Foundation and draws large crowds, according to the Boulder City Review.
Child in the Car Raises the Legal Stakes
Because a child was in the vehicle, child protective service officials were called after the arrest, the station's report notes. Nevada law treats a DUI with a child under 15 in the vehicle as an aggravating factor, and the detail carries real weight in court: judges can impose up to six months of actual jail time for first-time offenders transporting a child under 15, and prosecutors can pursue separate felony child endangerment or neglect charges under NRS 200.508 carrying up to six years in prison, according to 702 Defense.
Under Nevada Revised Statute 484C.400, a BAC of 0.16% or higher triggers mandatory alcohol or drug treatment and a $100 dependency evaluation, and an ignition interlock is required for at least 185 days, according to the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Stover.
New State Laws Target Severe Impairment
Nevada lawmakers have moved aggressively on high-BAC cases in the past year and a half. Senate Bill 309, passed in June 2025 and effective that October, lowered the threshold for mandatory alcohol treatment evaluations from 0.18% BAC to 0.16% BAC and doubled minimum jail sentences for repeat offenders.
A Small Department Covering a Busy Corridor
Boulder City Police serve a municipality of roughly 15,000 to 16,000 residents with about 34 sworn officers, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
Hoodline previously covered a fatal DUI case tied to Clark County, where a judge set $500,000 bail for a driver accused of killing a motorcyclist later buried in Boulder City. No charges against the Nevada Way driver have been detailed publicly, and it remains unclear whether he has prior DUI convictions.
