WAUSAU PILOT AND REVIEW
TOWN OF CASSEL, Wis. — A Green Bay man discovered sleeping behind the wheel of his vehicle on Hwy. 29 is facing his sixth drunken driving charge, according to court filings.
James E. Highland, 52, is being held in the Marathon County Jail on a $1,000 cash bond. Police say Highlund was in the driver’s seat with keys in the ignition and vehicle running when a deputy roused him from sleep. An open cup containing alcohol was in the console of the vehicle, according to the police report.
Deputies were called at 10:38 a.m. July 4 to the intersection of Purple Mountain Lane and Hwy. 29 in the town of Cassel for a report of a vehicle parked on the roadway with a man sleeping inside. Upon arrival they discovered Highlund behind the wheel and woke him from sleep.
Highlund told police he was tired and pulled off for a nap. But deputies detected a strong odor of intoxicants and asked Highlund to perform field sobriety tests, which Highlund allegedly failed. Preliminary breath test results were inconsistent at the scene, ranging from 0.12 percent to 0.23 percent. A third breath test, administered at the Marathon County Jail, showed a 0.19 percent blood alcohol concentration.
Blood test results are pending.
Highlund has five prior OWI convictions ranging from 1991 to 2013, all of which happened in Michigan. He did not have a valid driver’s license Thursday when he was arrested.
A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 19.
