Once an officer has determined that a driver may be intoxicated, they will usually initiate a traffic stop. After speaking with the driver, they may ask the driver to step out of the car and perform a field sobriety test. It is important to note that a driver can refuse a field sobriety test without penalty. In many cases, the officer has already made the decision as to whether a driver is under the influence before conducting this test. There are other factors that can also affect a field sobriety test’s result. Being overweight or having underlying medical conditions can cause a driver to fail, leading to an arrest.
Carson Now reports that a driver has been arrested for DUI in Carson City after a crash was reported.
The incident occurred at around 5:42 a.m. on Sunday when a deputy was dispatched to the front counter of the sheriff’s office for a possible DUI.
A 34-year-old woman informed the deputy that she had been involved in a crash with another vehicle that did not stop. She then advised the deputy that she had flagged down the driver and told them to go to the sheriff’s office.
When deputies arrived at the scene, they saw a woman get out of the driver’s seat of a sedan. The woman began speaking loudly while pointing at a man beside a white pickup truck. She was clearly agitated.
The deputy asked the woman to walk to the back of his vehicle so he could attempt to calm her down. She told the deputy that the driver of the truck had hit her vehicle in the drive-thru at a fast-food restaurant.
While speaking with the woman, the deputy noticed signs of intoxication. She accused the other driver of intoxication when asked how much she had been drinking. No damage to either vehicle was observed.
The woman agreed to take a field sobriety test. A preliminary breath test revealed a BAC of .149%. She was then placed under arrest for DUI.