Man's blood-alcohol level was 3 times the legal limit in Woodbury townhouse crash, charges say

An Oakdale, Minnesota, man faces criminal charges after authorities say his blood-alcohol count was three times the legal limit when he crashed into multiple Woodbury townhouses this past weekend, triggering a gas leak.

The Washington County Attorney's Office says the 53-year-old suspect is charged with a gross misdemeanor count of driving under the influence of alcohol. He also faces misdemeanor charges for refusing to submit to a breath test, reckless driving and failing to notify authorities of property damage.

The criminal complaint states the crash occurred Saturday around 11 a.m. at a townhome community off Woodduck Drive and Kingfisher Lane, with residents telling the responding Woodbury police officer the motorist "struck their house and continued driving," causing a gas leak.

The officer says he found the injured suspect sitting in his vehicle nearby, and he was "extremely slow, lethargic and dazed." When he exited the vehicle, the complaint state he had "poor balance and was unable to walk on his own."

Police say the suspect's preliminary breath test read 0.295 BAC. The state's limit is 0.08.

The motorist was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul, where the complaint states he initially agreed to give blood and urine samples to investigators, but "withdrew his consent" after a "nurse made multiple attempts to draw blood from him."

The complaint states the motorist, whom police say doesn't have any previous convictions, caused "extensive damage to the townhome structures, electrical boxes, streetlight pole and grass," while allegedly "driving recklessly through the neighborhood with no regard for the public safety."

The extent of the injuries the motorist suffered in the crash is unclear. He faces up to a year in jail if convicted.