{"id":16761,"date":"2026-02-05T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/?p=16761"},"modified":"2026-02-05T06:15:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T12:15:16","slug":"thief-river-falls-man-charged-with-33-dwi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/thief-river-falls-man-charged-with-33-dwi\/","title":{"rendered":"Thief River Falls Man Charged With .33 DWI"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thief River Falls, Pennington County<\/strong> (trfnews.i234.me<\/a>) \u2014 A Thief River Falls man is charged after police say they found him stuck in a snowbank and showing signs of impairment.<\/p>\n

Jeffrey Dean Feragen<\/strong>, 54, of Thief River Falls, is charged with gross misdemeanor third-degree driving while impaired<\/strong> under Minnesota Statute 169A.20<\/a>.<\/p>\n

What police say happened<\/h2>\n

According to the complaint, the incident happened on January 31, 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Police say it was about 8:34 p.m.<\/strong> when an officer saw a black sedan stuck in snow.<\/p>\n

The car was near the intersection of Pennington Avenue<\/strong> and Riverdale Drive<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Police report Feragen was outside the car and shoveling.<\/p>\n

A bystander was also there and trying to help.<\/p>\n

Police say Feragen stumbled while stepping back during the contact.<\/p>\n

When asked about drinking, police say he made a \u201cgrunting noise\u201d in response.<\/p>\n

The officer reported glossy eyes and an odor of alcohol.<\/p>\n

\"Jeffrey
Jeffrey Dean Feragen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Breath tests and the charge<\/h2>\n

Police say Feragen had trouble following field test instructions.<\/p>\n

They say he tried the tests for about ten seconds.<\/p>\n

Police report he then said \u201cno\u201d when asked to continue.<\/p>\n

A preliminary breath test at the scene reportedly showed .309<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Police say he was taken to the Pennington County Jail for testing.<\/p>\n

An evidentiary breath test there reportedly showed .33<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

That result is more than four times the .08<\/strong> legal limit.<\/p>\n

For more on impaired driving laws, see the Minnesota Department of Public Safety<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For background on field sobriety testing, see NHTSA SFST resources<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Court and bail details<\/h2>\n

Bail was set at $300 cash with conditions<\/strong>, the complaint states.<\/p>\n

The court also offered $3,000 cash or bond<\/strong> without conditions.<\/p>\n

The charge is a gross misdemeanor with a maximum of 364 days<\/strong> in jail.<\/p>\n

The maximum fine listed is $3,000<\/strong>.<\/p>\n