Otter Tail County, Minnesota (trfnews.i234.me) – A Dent man is facing gross misdemeanor DWI charges after a traffic stop in the early morning hours of July 5 revealed he was driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .27—over three times the legal limit.
According to the criminal complaint, Sergeant Allen Mekash of the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office observed a white pickup crossing the fog line while traveling on County Highway 34 near 410th Avenue at around 2:24 a.m. The vehicle was also clocked traveling 67 mph in a 55 mph zone.
The driver, later identified as Anthony Henry Sazama (DOB: 09/14/1996), was pulled over and showed multiple signs of impairment, including glossy eyes, slurred speech, and an unsteady stance. Sazama admitted to drinking, telling the deputy he had consumed “plenty” and believed he was over the legal limit.
Sazama submitted to field sobriety testing and a preliminary breath test, which returned a BAC of .259. He was then taken to the Perham Police Department, where an official breath test at 3:14 a.m. confirmed a .27 BAC.
Sazama is now charged with:
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Count I: DWI – Under the Influence of Alcohol (Gross Misdemeanor)
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Count II: DWI – BAC .08 or Greater Within 2 Hours (Gross Misdemeanor)
Each count carries a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and/or a $3,000 fine.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.