Two face drunk driving charges in separate incidents

Two men accused of driving drunk for the fifth time are facing felony charges in Douglas County Circuit Court.

Herbert Henry Hansen, 54, of Superior and Michael Floyd Christianson, 52, of Minneapolis face one count felony operating while intoxicated-fifth or sixth offense. Hansen made an initial appearance last week; Christianson made his Monday. A $500 cash bond was set for Hansen. Christianson signed a $2,000 signature bond.

According to the criminal complaints:

When responding to a hit and run accident at about 2 p.m. Sept. 12, Superior Police Officer Joel Markon located a car that matched the description of the suspect vehicle. The car was parked and a male, later identified as Hansen, appeared to be sleeping at the steering wheel. Markon turned off the ignition, removed the keys and woke Hansen. He appeared to be intoxicated and showed multiple signs of impairment during field sobriety tests.

The hood of the vehicle was warm at the time, as if it was driven recently. A witness who saw the hit and run gave a description of the driver that matched Hansen and the license plates matched those reported from the hit and run. Hansen has four prior intoxicate driving convictions in Wisconsin.

Superior Police Officer Marc Letendre was nearly rear-ended by a truck driven by Christianson around 1:30 a.m. Monday. The truck proceeded to follow the squad car at a very close distance for about two blocks. After allowing the vehicle to pass, Letendre activated his lights and siren and pulled the vehicle over. Christianson’s eyes appeared bloodshot and glassy, and the officer noticed an odor of intoxicants. The Minneapolis man told Letendre that he had just been released from the hospital at 9:30 p.m. and had “gone over to a friend’s house for a couple of beers.” He was unable to perform field sobriety tests and blew a 0.04 on a preliminary breath test. Christianson has four prior intoxicate driving convictions and one implied consent conviction in Minnesota.

The felony charge carries a maximum penalty of up to six years imprisonment and a fine of up to $10,000. Hansen’s next scheduled court appearance is a bail/bond hearing Tuesday. A preliminary hearing for Christianson is Oct. 3.

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