Jan. 16—EAU CLAIRE — An Eau Claire man was arrested for drunken driving for the ninth time after his running vehicle was found parked along the side of a town of Union road with its lights on, authorities say.
Reuben A. Rave Jr., 53, 309 Central St., was charged recently in Eau Claire County Court with a felony count of ninth-offense drunken driving.
Rave is free on a $5,000 signature bond, which prohibits him from drinking alcohol or entering taverns.
Rave returns to court Feb. 22.
According to the criminal complaint:
An Eau Claire County Sheriff’s deputy was sent to the 300 block of Kane Road just after 9 p.m. on Jan. 10 on a report of a suspicious vehicle that was parked there.
The deputy pulled behind the vehicle and activated the emergency lights on his squad car.
The deputy approached the vehicle and made contact with Rave, who was the driver and sole occupant. Rave switched the vehicle’s lights off and turned off the ignition before he rolled down the driver’s window.
The deputy could smell the faint odor of an intoxicating beverage emanating from inside the vehicle.
Rave said he had helped a friend move and was just parked on the side of the road listening to music.
The deputy noticed that Rave’s eyes were glossy and he had a slight slur to some of his words. The deputy saw an open can of malt liquor in the center console cup holder. Two empty cans of the same beverage were in the rear pouch of the passenger seat.
Rave said he had drank at least three 24-ounce cans of the malt liquor.
Rave failed field sobriety tests, which were conducted at the nearby Union Fire Department.
A breath test showed Rave’s blood alcohol content was .137. Rave was arrested for drunken driving and taken to HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital for a blood draw.
Rave was previously convicted of drunken driving in June 1992, March 1993 and April 2000 in Jackson County, in September 1996 in Clark County, in July 2004 in Monroe County, in October 2007 in Iowa County, in June 2010 in Dunn County, and in February 2013 in Eau Claire County.
If convicted of his ninth drunken driving offense, Rave could be sentenced to up to seven years in prison.
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