By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
An Austin man faces an enhanced drunk driving charge after he was stopped for driving the wrong way on Veterans Boulevard, police said.
Del Rio Police Department Senior Officer Dulce Gonzalez identified the arrested man as Martin Bustos Jr., 42, a resident of Austin, Texas. Bustos was charged with the offense of driving while intoxicated, second offense, a Class A misdemeanor, Gonzalez told the 830 Times.
She said a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper alerted police to a vehicle traveling the wrong way on Veterans Boulevard.
At 2:16 a.m. on Feb. 7, DRPD Officer Marcus Schwandner responded to a call about a reckless driver driving the wrong way in the 2100 block of Veterans Boulevard.
“The call was made by a DPS trooper in an unmarked unit,” Gonzalez said.
“Officer Schwandner responded and made contact with the DPS trooper, who had already stopped the vehicle, a 2015 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup, occupied by the driver, who was identified as Martin Bustos Jr., 42, a resident of Austin, Texas,” Gonzalez added.
“The trooper informed the officer the vehicle had been traveling on the wrong side of the highway. Contact was also made with a witness at the scene, who provided the same information and said he had seen the vehicle driving the wrong way, southbound in the northbound lane, and traveling at a high rate of speed,” Gonzalez said.
When Schwandner spoke to Bustos, he noted Bustos was unable to perform requested standard field sobriety tests.
“There were several signs of intoxication noted by the officer, and he also observed an open container of an alcoholic beverage inside the vehicle, so the officer made the arrest for driving while intoxicated and transported Mr. Bustos to the police station for processing,” Gonzalez said.
She noted Bustos also refused to provide a breath sample.
“A computerized criminal history revealed Bustos had a prior conviction for the offense of driving while intoxicated, so the charge was enhanced to DWI, second offense. The officer also applied for a search warrant for the blood of Mr. Bustos that was issued by 83rd Judicial District Judge Robert Cadena, and Bustos was transported to Val Verde Regional Medical Center, where a blood specimen was taken,” Gonzalez said.
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