A Janesville man has been arrested for his third operating-while-impaired offense in three months after police found his vehicle at a standstill in the middle of the road.
Michael R. Hudson, 42, is accused of OWI, fourth offense, after his arrest just after 4 p.m. Thursday, June 23. The charge could be elevated to a fifth or a sixth OWI offense, also felonies, as Hudson has two other fourth-offense cases pending in Rock County Court from April and May.
According to a criminal complaint filed Friday, June 24, a Janesville police officer was driving on South Academy Street on June 23 when he saw a silver SUV sitting near the intersection of Dodge Street. As the officer approached, he noticed the driver, later identified as Hudson, looking down at his lap instead of turning when no other traffic would have prevented him from doing so, the complaint states.
The officer did a loop along Court and High streets and came back to see if the vehicle had moved. Once the vehicle did move, police followed it as the driver drove back to the intersection. At that point, the officer turned on their emergency lights.
Hudson’s passenger told police during the traffic stop that he had been looking down at his GPS, and Hudson admitted his license had been suspended because of the open OWI offenses.
The officer arrested Hudson for bail jumping because his bond conditions prohibited driving any motorized vehicle. While transporting Hudson to the Rock County Jail, the officer began to suspect he was under the influence.
An initial breathalyzer test showed Hudson’s blood alcohol content was 0.195, more than twice the legal limit.
During an initial appearance, Court Commissioner Jack Hoag set Hudson’s bail at $2,000 and imposed the same restrictions as his two unresolved OWI offenses, requiring him to maintain absolute sobriety and prohibiting all driving.
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