D-U-ICED! Man convicted of driving Zamboni drunk at hockey game
FARGO, N.D. - A Fargo man has been convicted of operating a Zamboni while drunk, after the judge rejected his lawyer's argument that the ice-resurfacing machine didn't meet the definition of a vehicle under city code.
Steven James Anderson, 27, was arrested in January during a girls' high school hockey game in Fargo after witnesses complained he was driving erratically and crashing the ice resurfacing machine into the boards. Police say his blood-alcohol content was nearly four times the legal limit for driving a motor vehicle.
Defense attorney Lindsey Haugen said during the bench trial Tuesday that the law is not clear whether a Zamboni is considered a vehicle, or whether it is illegal to drive the machine on the ice while drunk.
Municipal Court Judge Stephen Dawson said state law is written to include such vehicles.
Anderson was sentenced to nine days in jail, with credit for one day served, and ordered to pay a $1,500 fine, undergo a chemical dependency evaluation, and participate in a sobriety program.
It's his first conviction for "DZUI" -- driving a Zamboni under the influence.