DULUTH, Minn. – Deputies find 65 empty alcohol bottles and a child passenger in a car that allegedly caused a crash on Rice Lake Road, according to the charges.
A vehicle that reportedly caused a crash on Rice Lake Road was found to have 86 liquor bottles inside, 65 of which were empty, and a child passenger, according to a criminal complaint. Daemon Andrew Williams, 44, of Duluth, is charged with allegedly causing the crash by driving across an intersection in front of another driver who was headed towards Duluth.
According to the criminal complaint, St. Louis County Deputies were called to the intersection of Emerson and Rice Lake Road in Gnesen Township around 5:36 p.m. on Thursday for reports of a collision. Deputies reported seeing a “grey Honda CRV with severe driver’s side rear end damage and all the airbags were deployed,” along with a second vehicle described as a “Toyota Tacoma with driver’s side front end damage.”
Williams was identified as the driver of the CR-V, and the passenger was his 10-year-old son. Deputies who spoke with Williams said “his version of events [was] unclear.” It was reported that Williams had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and “numerous clues of impairment.”
The driver of the Tacoma showed deputies footage that his dashcam captured of the crash. According to the complaint, the video showed the driver going southbound on Rice Lake Road when Williams’ CR-V is seen “abruptly crossing the intersection on Emerson Road driving directly in front of” the Tacoma.
Deputies suspected that Williams might be impaired and administered field sobriety testing. Williams denied drinking but “said he had last smoked marijuana about 8 to 10 hours prior,” according to the complaint. Williams took a preliminary breath test, which reported his blood alcohol content at 0.3.
During an inventory of Williams’ vehicle, deputies found 85 total alcohol bottles, most of which were empty 50ml bottles of 99 proof alcohol. In the complaint, deputies listed what they found:
“1. 1 empty 50 ml 99 Blackberries bottle
2. 15 empty 50 ml 99 Grapes bottles
3. 42 empty 50 ml 99 Coconuts bottles
4. 5 empty 375 ml 99 Grapes bottles
5. 2 empty 750 ml 99 Grapes bottles
6. 11 sealed 50 ml 99 Coconuts bottles
7. 2 sealed 50 ml 99 Blackberries bottles
8. 4 sealed 16.9 fluid ounce Stiegl-Radler Malt Beverage bottles
9. 4 sealed 12 fluid ounce Wild State Cider bottles”
The driver of the Tacoma was treated for a leg injury at the scene, and Williams’ son was treated at the scene for soreness in his head.
Williams is charged with two gross misdemeanor counts of criminal vehicular operation resulting in injury while under the influence, and one gross misdemeanor count of endangering a child.
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