You don't have to be driving an automobile to get charged with a DUI. People have been arrested for drunkenly operating riding lawnmowers, motorized easy chairs, even horse-and-buggies.
So in the spirit of DUI arrests on alternative forms of transportation, a 46-year-old Massachusetts man named Victor Rita, who was riding a motorized scooter to the liquor store, was arrested for his fifth drunken-driving charge, as reported by the Boston Herald.
And the reason why he decided to take the unlicensed scooter to get more booze? His license was revoked after his fourth DUI conviction.
Most Philadelphia DUI lawyers would probably tell their clients to stay off all forms of transportation if they've been drinking, or at least have a friend make the beer run for you.
In this case, Peabody resident Victor M. Rita was held without bail and pleaded not guilty to his fifth DUI charge. And even though he rode the scooter because he couldn't legally drive his car, he also was charged with driving with a revoked license and driving an unregistered vehicle. The officer said he stopped Victor Rita because he noticed it lacked registration tags.
Patrolman Mark Saia said he smelled alcohol and that the defendant's eyes were bloodshot, even though he was stopped at 9:11 a.m. In his defense, Victor Rita insisted he hadn't been drinking that morning but did the night before.
Regardless, a breathalyzer test indicated that his blood-alcohol concentration was 0.174 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit in the state (as it is in Pennsylvania as well). He also had a bag containing three bottles of vodka and a large bottle of beer.
So remember; unless you don't mind contacting your Philadelphia DUI attorney for a second or third time, just because you're not driving your car doesn't mean you're not driving.
Related Resources:
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DUI - Sentencing (FindLaw)
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Search Philadelphia DUI Law Firms (FindLaw)
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DUI by Horse & Buggy: Again, Just about Any Vehicle Counts (FindLaw's Legally Weird Blog)
