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Driver tried to switch places with dog to avoid DUI arrest, police say

The man was reportedly driving 20 mph over the speed limit when he was stopped by police in Colorado.
Driver tried to switch places with dog to avoid DUI arrest, police say
Posted at 8:36 AM, May 16, 2023
and last updated 2023-05-16 10:36:46-04

A Colorado man blamed his dog for his erratic driving, according to the Springfield Police Department.

The man was reportedly driving 20 mph over the speed limit at around 11:30 p.m. Saturday when he was stopped by police. 

“The driver attempted to switch places with his dog who was in the passenger seat, as the SPD officer approached and watched the entire process,” reads a news release from the police department.

The suspect — only identified as a man — then got out of his car from the passenger side door and claimed he was not the one driving, according to police.

Investigators said the man showed “clear signs of intoxication” and when asked if he had consumed alcohol, the man reportedly ran away.

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He was apprehended about 20 yards away from the vehicle, police said.

The man was driving from Las Animas to Pueblo and got lost in Springfield, police said, adding he had two active warrants out for his arrest.

Deputies with the Baca County Sheriff’s Office arrived to assist and the suspect was taken to a hospital, where he was medically cleared to leave. He was then booked into the Baca County Jail for his warrants and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, driving while ability impaired, driving under suspension speeding 20-24 over the speed limit, and resisting arrest.

It's unclear what happened to his dog. 

This story was originally published by Óscar Contreras at Scripps News Denver. 


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