Sixth DUI charge for Moorcroft man

Ryan Petersen of Moorcroft has been charged with a sixth offense of driving while under the influence of alcohol after law enforcement allegedly observed him driving erratically on the highway.

On December 8 at around 11:12 p.m., a Highway Patrol trooper was patrolling on U.S. 16 when he observed a passenger vehicle travel across the center line and into the opposing lane of travel for a “significant distance”. It then allegedly crossed onto the opposing fog line before the driver corrected their behavior.

The trooper initiated a stop and immediately noticed the “very strong odor” of an alcoholic beverage, according to court reports. He also allegedly observed multiple alcoholic beverage containers on the passenger floorboard and saw that Petersen’s eyes appeared bloodshot and watery.

When asked how much alcohol he had consumed that day, Petersen allegedly said he had had “a few”. The trooper performed several field sobriety tests and, as a result of his performance, believed Petersen was impaired beyond the point of safely operating a vehicle.

Petersen was placed in the patrol vehicle and a portable breath test administered, which returned a preliminary reading of 0.19 percent. Petersen was placed under arrest and taken to the Crook County Detention Facility and a second breath test taken, which returned a 0.17 percent result.

Petersen has been charged with one felony count of driving while under the influence, fifth or more offense, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years’ incarceration, a $10,000 fine or both. He has three known prior convictions in Campbell County in 2010 and 2012, one in Pennington County in 2014 and one in Crook County in March, 2018.

Petersen has also been charged with misdemeanor counts of failure to maintain lane and open container.