A Bloomington man earned an odd DUI last weekend when he was arrested for drunkenly snowplowing.
According to police reports, an unnamed 31-year-old man was stopped by authorities after a witness phoned in a tip that a man might be operating a snowplow under the influence of alcohol. Case details don’t detail exactly what type of plow the man was using, other than noting it was a front-end loader, likely meaning he was driving a truck with a plow attached to the front, or it was Bobcat-like device equipped with a front-end plow. If it was a suped-up Bobcat similar to those seen on construction sites, even though its primary use is not on city streets and roads, the heavy machinery would fall under the classification of a vehicle under Minnesota law.
Aggravated Charges?
Unfortunately for the plow driver, it’s likely that he will end up facing an aggravated DUI charge for his actions. As we mention on this page, the three factors that can result in an upgraded DUI charge are:
- A BAC over 0.16
- A previous DUI conviction within 10 years
- Minors in the vehicle at the time of arrest
Although we don’t know what the driver blew, the police report suggests that the man had a 5-year-old child on his lap when he was plowing the parking lot outside World Market. A records search also revealed that the man has three previous DUI convictions on his record. The father of the child was called to the scene and took the child into custody when the 31-year-old was arrested.
Related source: Pioneer Press
