The “disoriented” 76-year-old man who drove on Legacy Bridge in October was charged with DUI.
An initial portable breathalyzer test showed his blood alcohol content level at .099. The official intoxilyzer test taken by U Police registered at .102. A BAC level of .08 or above is considered legally drunk.
The man was arrested at the scene for intoxicated driving but not booked. The incident occurred on Oct. 29 around 1 p.m., when he mistakenly crashed his 2011 silver Audi Quattro onto Legacy Bridge while trying to find a lecture near Fort Douglas. According to a report by Campus Police, he was “very cooperative” with responding officers, who chose not to transport him to jail and instead called a cab — Sgt. Garth Smith with U Police said that is not an atypical response.
The police report states that when asked about his alcohol consumption, the man said he had had two glasses of wine the night before the accident. Smith said the case will be reviewed by the Salt Lake City Justice Court and could result in jail time, a fine or loss of his driver’s license.
Neither the man nor any pedestrians were injured in the crash, which Smith said is lucky because it is a “very busy” area on campus. U Police do not have an estimate as to the damage on the bridge or car, which was mostly paint-related. The man’s car was also impounded.
“It’s a very unique situation. We don’t get people driving on that bridge very often,” Smith said. “We’re just thankful that nobody got hurt. It could have been a lot worse.”
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