You read the title of this blog correctly. This is the first we have ever heard of this but a man in Pennsylvania this week was charged with a DUI for driving a riding lawn mower while intoxicated and having an open beer on his John Deer (not sure if it was acutally a John Dee). Now as ridiculous as this may seem, its actually true, this individual was charged by some cop for enjoying a beer while cutting his grass. Well to be far, he wasn’t stopped while mowing his lawn, he was driving the riding lawn mower down the side of the road when he was stopped by police at 1:30 in the morning. The man told the police he was driving home which was about 6 miles away, would have taken him quite a while to get home. He apparently was also driving on a suspended license. We don’t know if his license was suspended from a prior DUI or if the man believed riding a lawn mower didn’t count. At any rate, the man is now facing some pretty serious charges.
DUI for Operating Machines Other than Vehicles
Many people don’t realize you can be charged with a DUI for operating a number of different machines, not just vehicles. For instance, in Utah, you can be charged with a DUI for being under the influence while operating a boat, ATV, bike, snowmobile, golf cart, and more. Every summer we get a bunch of phone calls from clients charged with a DUI while driving a recreational vehicle off road. Don’t take any chances, just because you are not in a car, and not on the road, doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t be charged with a DUI. Another common misconception has to do with private property, you should not assume just because you are on private property the cops have no authority or you can’t be charged with a DUI in Utah. No matter what the circumstances of your case, having a Utah DUI Attorney can help. Call us today for a free consultation.
