Driver arrested on alcohol charges
Observer Staff Report
The driver of the car that crashed into a roadside pole near campus Sunday was arrested after blood tests showed his blood alcohol level was approximately .14, according to St. Joseph County police.
The legal limit for driving in the state of Indiana is .10.
Salvador Velasquez, 28, was driving south on US 31/33 past the Notre Dame Golf Course at approximately 2:25 p.m. Sunday when his car turned off the right side of the road and crashed into a sign pole. Velasquez broke his leg in the accident and was transported to Memorial Hospital for treatment. His car, a 1985 Mercury Grand Marquis, was damaged beyond repair.
Officers at the scene reported that Velasquez said he had fallen asleep behind the wheel. Tests taken at the hospital, however, showed that his alcohol level, when measured by blood, was 0.176. That converts to 0.14 on the scale used by breathalyzers, according to Tom Nowicki of the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Office.
Driving under the influence convictions carry penalties ranging from a 90-day driver's license suspension to up to 60 days in jail for a first violation. Subsequent convictions carry significantly higher penalties.
All News Stories for Tuesday, November 2, 1999
