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Driver Hits St. Paul Fire Station and is Charged with DUI

A woman has been cited in St. Paul for driving while impaired after police say she crashed into a St. Paul fire station.

As reported by the St. Paul Pioneer Press, there were no injuries in the accident, though the West Seventeenth Street station sustained damage.

The woman told police that she was driving west around 9:30 p.m. when a vehicle came at her, causing her to swerve. It was reported that there were individuals sitting outside to the right of her, so she swerved to the left and crashed into another vehicle just on the west side of the fire station.

Soon after the crash, the woman posted a photo of her vehicle on Facebook, showing her “current situation” and said that another vehicle had cut her off. She told police that the other vehicle cutting her off was the main reason behind the crash.

She also wrote that she was traveling the speed limit when the other vehicle approached her from head-on. She stated that the other vehicle was going so fast that she didn’t have a chance to get a license plate number.

Despite her account on Facebook, she was arrested for misdemeanor DWI because her blood alcohol concentration was recorded as .18, according to a breath test. A blood alcohol content of .18 is more than twice the legal limit to operate a motor vehicle in Minnesota.

The woman was booked, but was released five minutes after booking on her own recognizance, according to jail officials. She received a total of three charges of misdemeanor DWI.

The fire station, which is attached to the headquarters for the fire department, sustained some damage to the brick and window frames. There were large pane windows that were broken in the accident as well.

The kitchen area was impacted and it was noted that the nearest seating area in the kitchen was around 3 feet from where the vehicle struck the building. So far, an estimate of the damage has not been completed and it will be approximately 30 days before a contractor is able to repair the station.

A misdemeanor DWI in Minnesota carries a penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine. It is not said if the woman has had any prior offenses, which, if she had, the misdemeanor charge could have possibly been enhanced to a higher degree. A previous offense within the preceding 10 years is considered an aggravating factor and one aggravating factor can turn a 4th degree DWI charge into a 3rd degree DWI.  If you or a loved one have been arrested for DWI, contact Minnesota DWI attorney, F.T. Sessoms, to get all the answers to your DWI questions.