Superior man faces 9th drunk driving charge

A Superior man is facing his ninth drunk driving charge following an early Friday morning traffic stop.

Theodore John Kimmes, 48, faces felony ninth offense operating while intoxicated. He made an initial appearance Friday in Douglas County Circuit Court.

According to the criminal complaint:

A deputy with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department started following a red Jeep that appeared to be driving erratically at about 1:15 a.m. Friday. The vehicle crossed over the fog line on the right side of the road numerous times, sped up to 66 mph in a 55 mph zone and turned without signaling in the town of Superior.

When the deputy stopped the vehicle, he identified the driver as Kimmes. The deputy could smell a moderate odor of intoxicants coming from the vehicle.

When questioned, Kimmes admitted to having two drinks earlier that night. He did poorly on a number of field sobriety tests and refused to take a breathalyzer test. At the time he was stopped, the Superior man’s driver’s license was suspended.

He had eight prior operating while intoxicated convictions and was serving probation.

A $5,000 cash bond was set in the case with the condition Kimmes not operate a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s license and consume or possess alcoholic beverages. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for today.

He was cited for refusing to take the test for intoxication, operating while suspended, deviation from designated lane and speeding, according to online court records.

Tags: news, courts, crime, family