Driver Doesn’t Pass Inspection Man Arrested For Dwi After Bringing Car To Wsp Office

Fri., Feb. 23, 1996

Adam Lynn Staff Writer

FOR THE RECORD: (February 24, 1996): CORRECTION: The Washington State Patrol office in west Spokane is located at 6403 W. Rowand. An article on Friday’s Region page reported the wrong address.

Driving drunk is dumb. Driving drunk to a Washington State Patrol office is dumber.

But that’s what Robert S. Burns of Spokane is accused of doing Thursday.

Burns, 29, an employee at a used-car dealer, drove a Mazda RX7 to the patrol’s office at 6403 W. Rowan about 11 a.m., according to WSP Sgt. Chris Powell.

“They say alcohol impairs your judgment and that seems to be the case here,” Powell said.

“It may sound funny, but when you think about all the people that were exposed to him while he was driving over here - not to mention our inspectors - it’s really not.”

Burns wanted state inspectors to look over the red sports car, which is owned by the dealership. Dealers are required to have automobiles from out of state inspected before they can resell them in Washington.

Unfortunately for Burns, the inspector on duty was retired trooper Fred Swan.

Swan smelled alcohol on Burns’ breath and saw a squeezable sports bottle in his lap, Powell said.

The inspector asked for the bottle, and Burns reluctantly handed it over. It was half-full of beer, Powell said.

A breath test measured Burns’ blood-alcohol level at 0.20 percent, twice the legal limit, Powell said.

Burns was arrested for drunken driving and taken to jail. Burns, who has no criminal history in Spokane County, reportedly told troopers he went to a wedding Wednesday night and the beer he drank then must still be lingering in his system.

Not likely, said Powell, adding that troopers also found four full cans of Schmidt Ice beer and two empties in the car.

It’s not the first time someone showed up drunk at the WSP office.

In 1994, a man with four drunken driving convictions brought his car in for an inspection. He, too, was drunk and was arrested.

, DataTimes

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