Nine years for driving drunk 11 times

A Superior man will spend four years behind bars for driving drunk for the 11th time.

Peter Lee Heywood, 52, pleaded guilty Friday in Douglas County Circuit Court to one count of 10th and subsequent offense operating while intoxicated. He was sentenced to nine years — four years confinement and five years extended supervision. He was also ordered to pay a $3,600 fine, undergo a chemical dependency evaluation, install an ignition interlock and maintain absolute sobriety. His driver’s license was revoked for 36 months. One count of 10th and subsequent offense operating with a prohibited alcohol concentration was dismissed.

The charges stem from an August incident. A convenience store clerk asked Sgt. Brad Hoyt of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Department to check on a man who had just walked out the door of the Superior business because he appeared to be highly intoxicated. A witness outside told Hoyt the man, later identified as Heywood, had nearly hit the building with his van.

When questioned, Heywood said his license was revoked and he had driven into town. He also admitted to drinking four beers that day. A preliminary breath test showed an alcohol concentration of 0.166, more than twice the legal limit. A blood draw showed a 0.160 blood ethanol concentration, according to court records. The criminal complaint listed 10 drunk driving or implied consent convictions for Heywood stemming back to 1989. Nine were out of Minnesota, one in Wisconsin.

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