A shopping cart DUI? Seriously? Yep, it recently happened in Fairbanks, Alaska. And as crazy as it may seem, don’t be so surprised … it could happen here in Washington State too. Both as a prosecutor and as a Seattle DUI defense lawyer I am personally aware of at least two similar incidents in Washington State. One involved a man being charged and prosecuted for a Seattle DUI while driving a golf cart and the other was a man charged and convicted of a Seattle DUI for operating a motorized bicycle. This can happen because all the Washington DUI statute (RCW 46.61.502) states is that, “A person is guilty of driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor, marijuana, or any drug . . .” The statute does not specify what must be driven to violate the law.
As for the Fairbanks case, the police arrested a 63 year old man because he was allegedly operating a motorized shopping car. Apparently a grocery store employee called police after seeing the man drive into parking lot traffic. When police arrived the employee was holding onto the cart to stop the man from continuing to operate the cart. A preliminary breath test measured the man’s breath/ blood alcohol content at 0.31, which is roughly four times the legal limit of 0.08 percent.
As in the great state of Alaska, Driving Under the Influence allegations in Washington State are extremely serious, and can cause havoc on a person’s personal and professional life. Anyone charged with DUI in Washington State should immediately seek the assistance of a seasoned Seattle DUI lawyer. The Seattle criminal attorneys that make up the criminal defense team of SQ Attorneys are highly qualified and reputable Seattle DUI defense lawyers that are dedicated to providing top notch, aggressive representation for those arrested for DUI in Western Washington. The team creates success by working with law enforcement and the prosecuting attorney’s office to ensure that all facts and circumstances related to the criminal allegations are considered in creating the fairest, most equitable and just resolution possible in light of all the surrounding circumstances.
