Police: Casper Woman in DUI Crash Had BAC 3 Times the Legal Limit

A Casper woman involved in a minor car wreck Sunday had a blood alcohol concentration of .253%, more than three times the legal limit to drive, police say.

Karen Sue Heitzman-Hout was arrested on recommended charges of DUI, failure to maintain liability insurance and failure to drive within a lane.

According to an affidavit of probable cause, police were called to the intersection of Honey Suckle and Carnation for a reported two-vehicle accident.

A woman driving another vehicle was stopped at a stop sign on Honeysuckle waiting to turn right onto CY Avenue. As the driver was waiting, she saw Heitzman-Hout traveling west on CY before conducting a "wide" right-hand turn onto Honeysuckle at a "good" speed and hit the woman's rear driver-side fender, according to the affidavit.

Heitzman-Hout then allegedly continued to drive to her apartment, located nearby on Honeysuckle, got out of her vehicle and went inside.

When a Casper police officer arrived, Heitzman-Hout had returned to her vehicle. The officer asked Heitzman-Hout to grab her driver's license and proof of insurance and to wait by her vehicle. However, when the officer turned his back, Heitzman-Hout allegedly went back into her apartment.

Officers were able to speak with Heitzman-Hout through an open window in her apartment. Heitzman-Hout was allegedly slurring her words and repeated herself. After officers pleaded with her, Heitzman-Hout came outside, the affidavit states.

Heitzman-Hout allegedly told officers that she drank a fifth of vodka before the wreck.

More than an hour after the crash, Heitzman-Hout took a portable breath test with a result of .253%, the affidavit alleges.

Officers arrested Heitzman-Hout before taking her to Wyoming Medical Center, where she was medically cleared at 6:46 p.m. She was then taken to the Natrona County Detention Center where a breath test yielded a blood alcohol concentration of .178 percent, more than twice the legal limit to drive.

Police later learned that Heitzman-Hout was convicted of DUI in 2010 and 2016.