Thief River Falls (trfnews.i234.me) – A Thief River Falls woman faces a high-test DWI charge after a late-night traffic stop.
According to a criminal complaint, 37-year-old Renae Martinez of Thief River Falls was stopped shortly after 1 a.m.
The traffic stop happened on November 18 at about 1:11 a.m. in the 100 block of LaBree Avenue South.
An officer spoke with Martinez at the driver’s window. The officer reportedly noticed several signs that she might be impaired.
The complaint says Martinez showed indicators such as slurred speech and poor balance. Her driving behavior also raised concerns for impairment.
Martinez was asked to perform standard field sobriety tests at the scene of the stop that night.
According to the report, she did not pass those field tests. The officer then requested a preliminary breath test.
The preliminary breath test reportedly showed a Blood Alcohol Content of 0.17. That reading is more than twice Minnesota’s legal limit.
Martinez was then arrested and taken to the local jail for further testing and booking procedures.
At the jail, a DMT breath test was administered. The complaint states that the DMT test result was 0.18 BAC.
Based on those results, Martinez has been charged with third-degree DWI – 0.16 or greater. The charge is a gross misdemeanor.
Minnesota law sets the legal limit for most drivers at 0.08 BAC. Details appear in Minnesota Statute 169A.20.
That statute also covers enhanced penalties for tests at 0.16 or higher. Those cases can bring tougher sanctions for drivers.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety shares information on impaired driving crashes and enforcement. Resources are posted on the Office of Traffic Safety website.
Court hearings for Martinez will take place in Pennington County. Case updates and schedules are available through the Minnesota Judicial Branch online system.
Drivers convicted of high-test DWI can face fines, license loss, and possible jail time. Vehicle-related penalties may also apply.
Anyone charged with DWI is encouraged to understand their legal rights and options. Legal advice can come from a public defender or a private attorney.
At this stage, the charge against Renae Martinez is an allegation. She is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
