Patrick W. Hart, 31, Manawa, is charged with a felony drunken driving offense.
Shortly after 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, Waupaca County Sheriff’s Deputy Andrew Thorpe was off duty and traveling northbound on State Highway 22 north of Symco when he observed a gray Saturn crashed into a ditch.
Thorpe stopped to check on the welfare of the vehicle’s occupants and called to report the crash.
Deputy James Santiago was dispatched to the scene. He reported that the driver, identified as Hart, had bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol.
According to the criminal complaint, Hart told Santiago he consumed six or seven drinks since noon, but was not certain of the exact number.
Test reports indicate Hart had a 0.267 blood-alcohol level, which is more than three times over the legal limit.
Hart has three prior OWI convictions from December 2004, March 2006 and April 2011.