An Iowa man was reportedly arrested with a blood-alcohol level more than five times the legal limit on New Year’s Eve.
Police said they pulled over a 2001 Chevy Monte Carlo driven by 40-year-old Chad Harvey just after 8 p.m. Tuesday, December 31, 2013. Another motorist had called police and complained that Harvey was driving recklessly.
A police officer said he saw Harvey’s vehicle make a wide right turn into oncoming traffic and swerve again into oncoming traffic before he pulled over the Monte Carlo in North Liberty, Iowa.
They were less than a block from Harvey’s home address.
Police said Harvey had bloodshot and watery eyes, slurred speech and that he smelled of alcohol. Harvey allegedly admitted to having had a few drinks.
Police alleged Harvey could not stand on his own and could not perform field sobriety tests. A portable preliminary breath test done at the traffic stop showed Harvey’s blood-alcohol content at .435, which is more than five times the legal limit in Iowa of .08.
Police said Harvey was taken to the Coralville Police Department for further testing, and was again given a breath test when he could not perform field sobriety testing. That test allegedly showed Harvey’s BAC at .435.
Lifeloc Technologies, a company that makes devices to measure blood-alcohol content, says a BAC of .30 to .40 is “extremely life-threatening” and equivalent to being under surgical anesthesia. Over .45 BAC will cause death for most people.
Harvey was arrested and charged with operating while intoxicated first offense. He spent the night in jail, and jail records show he was released on his own recognizance just after 11 a.m. New Year’s Day.
