Man charged with drunk driving in wheelchair

A man found asleep in a motorized wheelchair on a highway in northern Australia was charged with drunk driving, police said Monday.

[dave]

oh for cryin out loud!!! give the old guy a break, he didn't hurt anyone!!

[BOB]

iDk.
WHO WOULD BE RiDiCULOUS ENOUGH TO CHARGE FOR SOMETHING AS STUPID AS DRIVING AROUND IN A WHEELCHAIR WHILE A LIL WASTED... BUT ANYWAYZ GIVE THE DUDE A BREAK

[Rican]

I guess the LONG ARM of the law doesn't discriminate....

[Purple Gurl]

Wouldn't this be drunk walking since a wheelchair is supposed to make up for problems walking? I am surprised I haven't read about someone pushing a shopping cart while intoxicated getting arrested for drunk driving. I have read about someone pushing a baby carriage and getting DWI for that. Though I would think that child endangerment would have been a more suitable charge.

[skipper]

BOB wrote:

iDk.
WHO WOULD BE RiDiCULOUS ENOUGH TO CHARGE FOR SOMETHING AS STUPID AS DRIVING AROUND IN A WHEELCHAIR WHILE A LIL WASTED... BUT ANYWAYZ GIVE THE DUDE A BREAK

guy up in canada thought the same thing
he said
I don't need a license,insurance or tags.

the court fined him 600 dollars and gave him 18 months probation.

[gearhead]

A few years ago a local man was charged with DUI while working on his car, the car was in his driveway up on blocks with engine running he had a beer sitting on the fender,cop rolled by as he was taking a swallow, he fought the charges they were trying to get a 1,000 fine suspend his license for 90 days and be made to take a driver saftey class, plus another 100 fine for open container and another 150 fine for drinking/drunk in public. he lost the first round appealed the case and finally after three months ended up with a 150 fine for drunk in public, his lawyer fees had to be up there. talk about your useless charges.

[Oakland is a hole]

This guy wasn't just a little buzzed, he was trashed. And on the highway blocking traffic. I think the ticket was justified.

"Officers in a patrol car noticed the man slumped in the stationary chair about 10 a.m. Friday on an exit lane near the tourist city of Cairns, regional traffic Inspector Bob Waters said. Cars were swerving to get around him, Waters said.

The officers breath-tested the 64-year-old man, who registered a blood alcohol reading of 0.301 - more than six times the legal driving limit. He was charged with operating a vehicle while drunk and ordered to report to court on July 7, where he faces a stiff fine if convicted.
"

[Chrs Robinson]

since when did an electric wheelchair become a motorized vehicle? Last time I checked a wheel chair was not classified as such, but as an ambulatory device,thus allowing one to move about upon their own, such as a walker or basic wheelchair that is powered by the arms. Wow! Guess I will leave my walking cane at home next time I decide to go to the bar, maybe I will have a legit reason to crawl home then.
I think i would rather see the guy be fined same as any hitchiker would be for being on the highway, but this also raises the question, as in most states a pedestrian and bicyclest are legal on a highway, but not that of an interstate. Though there are some states that do allow persons to walk on the interstate.
Sad and the state or county will spend thousands to prosicute adding insult to injury!

[nuka]

OKAY..so he was on a highway...what do you do? Take away his wheelchair for a year etc..and do you give him a criminal record? Come ON..okay sure he could have gotten himself killed or caused and accident. but when does this stuff end. Little bit over emphasized I think? JMO

[Kazzi]

Chrs Robinson wrote:

since when did an electric wheelchair become a motorized vehicle? Last time I checked a wheel chair was not classified as such, but as an ambulatory device,thus allowing one to move about upon their own, such as a walker or basic wheelchair that is powered by the arms. Wow! Guess I will leave my walking cane at home next time I decide to go to the bar, maybe I will have a legit reason to crawl home then.
I think i would rather see the guy be fined same as any hitchiker would be for being on the highway, but this also raises the question, as in most states a pedestrian and bicyclest are legal on a highway, but not that of an interstate. Though there are some states that do allow persons to walk on the interstate.
Sad and the state or county will spend thousands to prosicute adding insult to injury!

"since when did an electric wheelchair become a motorized vehicle?"

Probably when he decided to use it on a road, not a footpath. A few years ago, there was a bloke who rode his bicycle to the pub, to 'do the right thing', and ended up hitting and killing someone on the way home anyway! I hope they're not too rough on the fellow; but it was extremely dangerous for him to do that, for himself and others. Let's hope he learns to stick to the rules, for his own safety.

[currymuncher]

Kazzi wrote:

<quoted text>
"since when did an electric wheelchair become a motorized vehicle?"
Probably when he decided to use it on a road, not a footpath. A few years ago, there was a bloke who rode his bicycle to the pub, to 'do the right thing', and ended up hitting and killing someone on the way home anyway! I hope they're not too rough on the fellow; but it was extremely dangerous for him to do that, for himself and others. Let's hope he learns to stick to the rules, for his own safety.

You are smarter than Van Dyck.

[Kazzi]

currymuncher wrote:

<quoted text>
You are smarter than Van Dyck.

Sarve&#347;&#257;m Svastir Bhavatu
Sarve&#347;&#257;m S&#257;ntir Bhavatu
Sarve&#347;&#257;m P&#363;rnam Bhavatu
Sarve&#347;&#257;m Mangalam Bhavatu

Even you!

Please leave me alone now. Thank you.

[Kazzi]

Well, I tried! Here it is again:

May good befall all,
May there be peace for all
May all be fit for perfection,
May all experience that which is auspicious.

[Groovyghoulie]

He should have gotten a PI, period. They did not need to make an example of him. Where the heck are the good guys? You see some guy in a wheelchair, stoned out on an exit ramp, you pull over and give assistance. They all kept going and left it up to chance that a law enforcer would happen by? Yeah he was pretty toast, wasn't he?

"Ode to Spirit On Wheels"
I took the exit ramp to home,
saw some dude toasted in a wheelchair and alone,
I stopped and checked him out,
He was wasted times six without a doubt,
And he said "I'm the travelling gnome".

"I had to get somewhere",
"I'm on wheels, loaded, but I don't care",
"Ya can't keep a good man down"
"Ceptin the fuzz headed downtown".

[Little Boy]

That man in the wheelchair doesn't fool me, who knows he might kill someone one day with that so-called wheelchair of his. He deserves it!

(Waiting for some gullible person to rage on me because of this post just like that Jill person...will what do you know!? I still remember that Jill person!)

[Christopher]

Purple Gurl wrote:

Wouldn't this be drunk walking since a wheelchair is supposed to make up for problems walking? I am surprised I haven't read about someone pushing a shopping cart while intoxicated getting arrested for drunk driving. I have read about someone pushing a baby carriage and getting DWI for that. Though I would think that child endangerment would have been a more suitable charge.

That would have been a more suitable charge in the latter case. This is, once again, a prime display of abuse of police power... arrest the guy for public drunkedness, okay. But not for DWI, most states have it written right into their laws that the DWI laws are ONLY for motor vehicles over a certain weight limit.
There was a guy near here who was mowing his lawn using a riding mower drunk.... was he charged with DWI? No, he was only charged with public drunkedness and fined a little.
Anyway, all of this could be prevented if we would start using the methods that we have to dealcoholize stuff today. No more 'getting drunk' because it would be IMPOSSIBLE to get drunk, because there would be extremely little or NO alcohol in alcoholic beverages.

[Von in Aiea]

DWW and DWIW.

New term.

Drunk while Walking and Drunk While In Wheelchair.

Also what would the sobriety test consist of as he can't get out of the wheelchair?

[HONEST G]

Von in Aiea wrote:

DWW and DWIW.
New term.
Drunk while Walking and Drunk While In Wheelchair.
Also what would the sobriety test consist of as he can't get out of the wheelchair?

OH...LOL-the thought police will be after you for sure...too funny!

Yes-sir-can you walk a straight line? NO...resisiting arrest-

[SUPERIOR AUSSIE]

Sould of been just drunk in a pulic place unless they wat to disscriminate against dissabled poeple.

[Von in Aiea]

HONEST G wrote:

<quoted text>
OH...LOL-the thought police will be after you for sure...too funny!
Yes-sir-can you walk a straight line? NO...resisiting arrest-

Hi

I was born in Hanford Washington.

Aloha