Lawn-mower DUI charge results in jail
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By Alan J. Keays Herald Staff - Published: July 19, 2005
A Hydeville man already facing his fourth charge of drunken driving is now behind bars for allegedly riding a lawn mower on the road while intoxicated.
Raymond M. Jensen, 47, of Route 4A pleaded innocent Monday in Rutland District Court to the latest drunken driving charge involving the lawn mower, as well as a charge of violating the conditions of his release from the earlier DUI charge. He was ordered jailed on $3,500 cash bail.
"Despite being on strict conditions of release, he continues to drink and here he is driving a lawn mower down the street," Deputy State's Attorney John Zaikowski said in court.
Katie Smith, a public defender representing Jensen, replied, "He was not aware that the lawn mower rose to the level of a motor vehicle."
According to the state DUI statute, "A person shall not operate, attempt to operate, or be in actual physical control of any vehicle on a highway … when the person's alcohol concentration is 0.08 or more."
Jensen was arrested Saturday afternoon after Castleton Police Officer Stephen Dechen saw him driving a 1968 Cub Cadet riding lawn mower in the southbound lane of Blissville Road in Castleton.
The officer wrote in an affidavit that after he stopped Jensen he could smell alcohol on his breath and his eyes were bloodshot. A breath test later revealed Jensen had a blood-alcohol level of 0.16, twice the legal 0.08 limit for driving in Vermont.
"I didn't realize that I was doing sometime wrong," Jenson told the officer, according to the affidavit. "I was just going to (a) house down here on Blissville Road."
Jensen was arrested on the earlier charge of drunken driving, fourth offense, in February in Castleton. In that case, Jensen fled a car crash and was taken into custody after being found hiding in his attic.
Police said they tried to talk Jensen out of the attic, but he refused. Police said they then told Jensen if he did not come out they would send Maximus, a Vermont State Police dog, into the attic.
Jensen then came out of the attic without incident.
No one was injured in the car crash. He told police he fled the scene of the crash because he was afraid he would be in trouble for hitting the other vehicle, the affidavit stated.
He had pleaded innocent in March to charges in connection with that incident and was released on conditions, including that he not drink any alcohol.
Jensen has two previous DUI convictions in 1985 and a third in 1987. The latest charge was filed as a second DUI fourth offense because Jensen has not yet been convicted of the first DUI fourth charge.
Each DUI, fourth offense, charge carries a maximum penalty of up to five years in jail and a $2,500 fine.
Contact Alan J. Keays at alan. keays@rutlandherald.com.
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