TOWN OF KNOWLTON — A 53-year-old Schofield man accused of his 7th drunken driving offense was seen by two DNR wardens “doing burnouts” and swigging on a can of beer before he was taken into custody on Saturday, police said.
Nathan Everson is being held in the Marathon County Jail on a $15,000 cash bond, according to online court records. He is due in court July 12 for a preliminary hearing.
Police were called July 1 to the 1400 block of River Lane by two DNR wardens who reported seeing a man driving erratically before pulling into a driveway, according to the criminal complaint. The wardens told police they then saw Everson exit the driver’s side of his vehicle and take a drink from a can of beer before tossing the beer can in the grass, the complaint states.
Everson refused to take field sobriety tests but a preliminary breath test showed his blood alcohol level at 0.19 percent. Because of his six prior OWI convictions, Everson is prohibited to drive with more than 0.02 percent alcohol in his system. He was convicted of drunken driving in 1993, 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001, according to court records.
In Wisconsin, drivers convicted in even 10 or more OWI cases is eligible for license reinstatement after just three years.
If he is convicted, Everson faces a minimum of 3 years and a maximum of 12 1/2 years in prison and up to $25,000 in fines.
