Police chief urges caution on the road

Talk about it

A pair of alcohol related accidents over the weekend have police chief Eric Werner reminding residents to celebrate the holidays responsibly.

The first accident occurred Saturday evening when Benjamin William Burns allegedly left a Shenanigan’s Pub.

According to the criminal complaint, a witness reported seeing Willimas back into her vehicle as he was leaving the area, then leave northbound on Highway 3. Williams reportedly travelled north on Robert Trail and turned onto Connemara Trail.

A second party saw the same vehicle, a gray Ford Explorer, drive into the east side of a house and into a deck. Burns then backed out of the yard and drove to his girlfriend’s house on Coleshire Path and parked inside the garage.

Police spoke to the registered owner of the vehicle who said her boyfriend, Burns, was driving her vehicle. The owner then went to the garage and noted significant front end damage to the vehicle. Officers entered the residence and found Burns on the entryway floor. The complaint states that Burns seemed extremely intoxicated.

Burns refused sobriety tests when asked and was placed under arrest for Driving While Impaired. Burns has a prior DWI conviction in 2008.

The second accident occurred Sunday afternoon and involved a head-on accident on Highway 3. Alcohol was suspected as a factor in that accident as well.

“This is a good opportunity to remind people, as we go into the holiday, please drink responsibly,” said Werner.

Over the snowy weekend Werner said 17 accidents were reported in Rosemount.

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