Man facing 10th drunk driving charge blames beer-battered fish
ADAMS COUNTY, WI -- A man is facing his 10th drunk driving charge, and you could say the excuse he gave to police was just a little fishy.
According to WAOW-TV, John Przybyla, 75, was pulled over in Adams County, Wisconsin, back in October. The deputy who stopped him said Przybyla was smoking a cigarette, but that wasn't the only smell coming from the vehicle.
"I could smell odor of alcohol on his breath," said Deputy Brian Lowenhagen.
He told the officer he hadn't been drinking, and that the smell was coming from beer battered fish.
"I believe that he probably had beer battered fish, but I didn't believe that was what was causing the odor of alcohol on his breath," said Deputy Lowenhagen.
Przybyla took a field sobriety test and was reportedly uncoordinated. He was arrested for operating while intoxicated and driving with a revoked license.
But it wasn't the first time he was arrested for drunk driving. According to investigators, Przybyla had nine priors. So even though preliminary tests showed his blood alcohol level to be just below the legal limit, it was still enough for an arrest.
"Once you get so many offenses in Wisconsin, once you're to your fourth offense or higher, the BAC level drops down to a .02," said Deputy Lowenhagen.
Przybyla was reportedly cooperative during the arrest, but once it was time to test his blood at the hospital, things changed.
"At the hospital he told me that it was against his religion to give the blood draw," said Lowenhagen.
