Casper Police Arrest Man Following Drunken Driving Crash Near NIC
Casper police on Tuesday evening arrested a man who allegedly drove under the influence, hit two planters and nearly crashed into another vehicle before coming to a stop near the Nicolaysen Art Museum.
Wyatt D. Bowers, 22, was booked into jail on recommended charges of DUI, driving while suspended and driving without insurance.
Charging papers say police were called to the area of East Second Street and Kimball for a report of an accident with injury shortly before 7 p.m. Tuesday. Dispatch advised the accident involved a truck hitting a tree, then parking on the east side of the Nicolaysen Art Museum.
A family friend who knew Bowers said she had followed Bowers since Second and Lennox, and was trying to get him to stop driving. She followed Bowers west down Second Street and watched as he swerved through both lanes of traffic.
Bowers, the witness said, then turned into the parking area in front of Wyoming Medical Center off of Second Street. The witness exited her vehicle and went to talk to Bowers, trying to convince him to park the vehicle and go home for the night.
Bowers reportedly didn't listen and again took off down Second Street.
He swerved in both lanes before hitting a planter, coming back into the road and continuing down Second Street. A little while later, Bowers hit another planter, but again managed to get back into the straight lanes of travel on Second Street.
Bowers then turned onto Kimball from Second Street without using the turn lane, nearly hitting another vehicle before stopping beside the NIC.
Bowers was taken in an ambulance to Wyoming Medical Center. An officer spoke with Bowers at the hospital.
Bowers reportedly said he wasn't sure how fast he had been going, and was unable to remember anything about the accident except that he had been driving.
Court documents say Bowers had been at a friend's house on Cody drinking vodka. He hadn't eaten anything all day, had only slept three hours in the prior day, and had a couple of shots at 6:30 p.m.
Bowers was obviously intoxicated, with red and watery eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol emanating from his person.
Bowers agreed to perform standardized field sobriety tests. The results led police to arrest Bowers for DUI.
Breath samples provided by Bowers at the Natrona County Detention Center revealed a blood-alcohol concentration of .294 and .289 -- nearly four times the legal limit to drive.