Superior man faces 11th drunk driving charge

Raymond LeDoux A man sentenced to eight years of prison - five years confined - for his ninth offense for driving drunk after ramming a Douglas County deputy’s squad during a high speed chase a decade ago is facing charges for his 11th offense after a hit and run crash Monday evening. Raymond James LeDoux, 68, of 1613 N. 12th St., is facing charges of 11th offense operating while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle while revoked in Douglas County Circuit Court. He also was cited for hit and run on an unattended vehicle and operating without insurance. Superior Police Officer Sean Holmgren was called to the 2100 block of Oakes Avenue on a report of a hit and run. The caller reported that a motor home struck a van parked on the street. The driver of the motor home left the area. “I observed severe damage to the entire drive side of the blue minivan,” Holmgren wrote in his report. He said there were several bystanders in the area and one of them handed Holmgren a piece of paper with a license plate number on it, received from an unidentified individual who witnessed the crash. The van was totaled, but no one was injured, according to Superior Police Chief Charles LaGesse. Reports show the owner of the van didn’t see the crash when it occurred. Other officers attempted to locate the suspect vehicle, which was registered to LeDoux based on the license plate information. Superior Police Sgt. Adam Poskozim was driving northbound on Tower Avenue, just leaving South Superior, when he observed the motor home heading south. Poskozim tried to memorize the plate as it passed, and turned around when Holmgren radioed the plate number over the air. Poskozim wrote that he could see heavy damage to the rear bumper of the motor home on the passenger side. The sergeant activated his lights and LeDoux pulled over mid-block on Banks Avenue after making a couple of turns. Officer Marc Letendre arrived on the scene as backup. Poskozim said when he approached LeDoux, the man’s movement was slow and uncoordinated, his eyes were droopy and red, and his speech was slurred. “I asked LeDoux if he had hit anything with his motor home, and he said he did not,” Poskozim wrote in his report. Poskozim wrote that LeDoux said the damage to his rear bumper was old damage, but he had no explanation for the damage to the front of the vehicle. Letendre performed a field sobriety test as other officers arrived on the scene. “I noted that his eyes were glassy and bloodshot,” Letendre reported. “I noted a strong odor of intoxicants on his breath and I noted he appeared unsteady on his feet.” A preliminary breath test revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.172, more than twice the legal limit, according to Letendre’s report. Letendre took LeDoux to the hospital for a blood draw, which the suspect refused. Court Commissioner Rebecca Lovejoy granted a warrant for a blood sample for testing. LeDoux was lodged in the Douglas County Jail. LeDoux made an initial appearance Tuesday in Douglas County Circuit Court, and bail was set at $5,000 cash. He remains in custody for a probation violation. A six-year prison sentence in Minnesota was stayed for five years of probation and one year in the Carlton County Jail in October 2011 after LeDoux pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated-refusing to test; he was arrested there in December 2010 for his 10th offense, according to online Minnesota court records. LeDoux’s next court appearance is a status conference Monday. After waiving a preliminary hearing Tuesday, he’s scheduled for arraignment on the new charges Nov. 14. He faces up to 12½ years in prison and a $25,000 fine on the latest drunk driving charge.  
Raymond LeDouxA man sentenced to eight years of prison - five years confined - for his ninth offense for driving drunk after ramming a Douglas County deputy’s squad during a high speed chase a decade ago is facing charges for his 11th offense after a hit and run crash Monday evening.Raymond James LeDoux, 68, of 1613 N. 12th St., is facing charges of 11th offense operating while intoxicated and operating a motor vehicle while revoked in Douglas County Circuit Court. He also was cited for hit and run on an unattended vehicle and operating without insurance.Superior Police Officer Sean Holmgren was called to the 2100 block of Oakes Avenue on a report of a hit and run. The caller reported that a motor home struck a van parked on the street. The driver of the motor home left the area.“I observed severe damage to the entire drive side of the blue minivan,” Holmgren wrote in his report. He said there were several bystanders in the area and one of them handed Holmgren a piece of paper with a license plate number on it, received from an unidentified individual who witnessed the crash.The van was totaled, but no one was injured, according to Superior Police Chief Charles LaGesse. Reports show the owner of the van didn’t see the crash when it occurred.Other officers attempted to locate the suspect vehicle, which was registered to LeDoux based on the license plate information.Superior Police Sgt. Adam Poskozim was driving northbound on Tower Avenue, just leaving South Superior, when he observed the motor home heading south. Poskozim tried to memorize the plate as it passed, and turned around when Holmgren radioed the plate number over the air. Poskozim wrote that he could see heavy damage to the rear bumper of the motor home on the passenger side. The sergeant activated his lights and LeDoux pulled over mid-block on Banks Avenue after making a couple of turns. Officer Marc Letendre arrived on the scene as backup.Poskozim said when he approached LeDoux, the man’s movement was slow and uncoordinated, his eyes were droopy and red, and his speech was slurred.“I asked LeDoux if he had hit anything with his motor home, and he said he did not,” Poskozim wrote in his report. Poskozim wrote that LeDoux said the damage to his rear bumper was old damage, but he had no explanation for the damage to the front of the vehicle.Letendre performed a field sobriety test as other officers arrived on the scene.“I noted that his eyes were glassy and bloodshot,” Letendre reported. “I noted a strong odor of intoxicants on his breath and I noted he appeared unsteady on his feet.” A preliminary breath test revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 0.172, more than twice the legal limit, according to Letendre’s report.Letendre took LeDoux to the hospital for a blood draw, which the suspect refused. Court Commissioner Rebecca Lovejoy granted a warrant for a blood sample for testing.LeDoux was lodged in the Douglas County Jail. LeDoux made an initial appearance Tuesday in Douglas County Circuit Court, and bail was set at $5,000 cash. He remains in custody for a probation violation.A six-year prison sentence in Minnesota was stayed for five years of probation and one year in the Carlton County Jail in October 2011 after LeDoux pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated-refusing to test; he was arrested there in December 2010 for his 10th offense, according to online Minnesota court records.LeDoux’s next court appearance is a status conference Monday. After waiving a preliminary hearing Tuesday, he’s scheduled for arraignment on the new charges Nov. 14. He faces up to 12½ years in prison and a $25,000 fine on the latest drunk driving charge.