A 25-year-old Racine man faces his first drunk driving charge after a three-car crash on Oct. 8 that sent one person to a local hospital.
Ruben Munoz, 400 Seventh St., No. 4, will be back in Racine County Circuit Court on Jan. 9, 2023, for an 8:30 a.m. status conference. Racine County Jail records indicate that Munoz remained in custody for drunk driving last Thursday on a $200 cash bond.
If convicted of his first drunk driving offense, with the additional clause of causing injury, Munoz faces a maximum fine of $2,000 and up to one year in the county jail.
Criminal complaint: Drunk driving
Racine Police on Oct. 8 responded to the intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and Hamilton Street at 9:53 a.m., where they observed a GMC with substantial damage to its front and right side. A Nissan Pathfinder and a Dodge Caravan were found on Hamilton Street; the Nissan had substantial damage to its front and left side.
Both the GMC and Nissan also had airbag deployment, the complaint states.
The operator of the Nissan was later transported to Ascension Hospital with injuries to her knee and back. Munoz, the driver of the GMC, was treated at the scene for injuries, and Racine Fire personnel reported there were indications of alcohol coming from his person.
Police later spoke to Munoz at Ascension Hospital, where they observed the odor of intoxicants and also stated his eyes were bloodshot. Munoz admitted to drinking four to seven beers and told police “the accident was his fault.”
A legal blood draw was conducted to determine Munoz’s level of intoxication. Results of that draw were not included in the complaint.
Court records also showed that Munoz was driving on a suspended license. Police viewed surveillance video from Martin Luther King Drive, which showed Munoz operating his vehicle at a high rate of speed. He then failed to stop at the stop sign and struck the southbound Nissan. That vehicle then struck the Dodge, which was stopped at the eastbound stop sign, the complaint states.
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