A driver was arrested on suspicion of DUI after a minor crash at an Issaquah gas station escalated into a chaotic scene, according to the Issaquah Police Department.
Officers were called to a gas station on Front Street for what was initially reported as a fender-bender.
When they arrived, one of the drivers immediately accused the other of hitting his vehicle.
A bystander quickly stepped in to tell officers the same driver appeared intoxicated, setting the tone for what turned into a far more serious situation.
Police said the man showed clear signs of impairment almost immediately.
He struggled to stay steady on his feet, avoided eye contact, and his eyes were glassy and drooping.
When officers asked him to walk back to his vehicle for insurance information, he stumbled on flat pavement.
The odor of alcohol was strong enough that officers noted it before even reaching the car.
At the vehicle, officers said the signs became even more pronounced.
The driver admitted to drinking 10% high-alcohol beer and offered a confusing explanation of how he ended up at the gas station — an explanation that didn’t match the location or circumstances.
Field sobriety tests also raised concern.
Police said he swayed, stepped off the line and struggled with the eye-movement portion of the test.
Officers arrested the man after noting multiple indicators of impairment.
During a search, they found a cannabis smoking device and eye drops commonly used to reduce redness.
At the police station, the driver had difficulty completing the breath test, but the samples he provided registered more than twice the legal blood-alcohol limit.
Officers also learned he had a previous DUI arrest on his record.
He was booked into the Issaquah City Jail on DUI charges.
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