A routine patrol in Georgetown turned into a stunning DUI arrest just after midnight on September 28, after deputies found a vehicle stopped on the sidewalk near Brownell Street and 7th Street. The driver did not stay put. He drove off down the sidewalk after officers asked what he was doing and whether he was okay, then stopped a second time before deputies could finally make contact.
According to the Clear Creek County Sheriff's Office on Facebook, the driver failed a field sobriety test on scene and recorded a blood alcohol content of 0.364 — more than four times Colorado's legal limit of 0.08. Deputies also found a loaded firearm within his reach inside the vehicle while he was intoxicated, according to the sheriff's office. He was taken into custody at the scene.
Charges Include Felony DUI and Weapons Count
The sheriff's office says the driver was arrested and faces charges of felony DUI, driving under restraint and prohibited use of a weapon. His license had already been revoked for having three or more prior DUI convictions, according to the same account. The 5th Judicial District Attorney's Office will determine the final charges, and the sheriff's office noted that the driver, like any defendant, is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise through the judicial process.
The sheriff's office did not release the driver's name, age or other identifying details in its post describing the incident.
How Colorado Treats Repeat DUI Offenders
State data offers some context for how repeat DUI cases like this one tend to play out in Colorado's courts. Among DUI convictions, 37% involved a driver with at least one prior DUI arrest, and felony DUI sentences have averaged 1,254 days in community corrections and 1,455 days in prison, according to the Colorado Department of Public Safety.
The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice report says 26,165 DUI cases were filed in 2019; people ages 26–34 accounted for 31% of DUI court filings in its data.
A Loaded Gun Adds a Separate Charge
The weapons charge stems from Colorado law addressing firearm possession while intoxicated. Materials from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation reference statutory language stating that a person may not have a firearm in his or her possession while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a controlled substance, though the full elements of that charge will ultimately be sorted out through the court process in this case.
The Colorado Division of Criminal Justice report says convicted drivers who tested positive for multiple impairing substances had the highest crash rate, at 40%.
