Drunk Driver Gets Stuck in Mud, Arrested in Westport

After being followed by police, an intoxicated driver turned off his lights, drove down an embankment and ended up getting stuck in a swamp, police said.

initially spotted the driver make a left turn onto Treadwell Avenue from Riverside Avenue while in the right turn lane. The officer followed the vehicle on Treadwell as it drifted into the right shoulder and nearly struck a parked vehicle, police said.

The driver then rapidly accelerated and drove through the stop sign at the intersection of Treadwell Avenue and Kings Highway South. He then proceeded westbound onto Strathmore Lane, according to police. 

The man turned the vehicle headlights off and drove off the right side of the roadway, down an embankment and into a swampy area where the car became stuck in mud, police said.

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The officer could smell alcohol on the driver’s breath while speaking with him and noticed that he also had ‘red, glassy eyes’ and was unsteady on his feet, police said.

The driver failed a field sobriety test and was taken into custody. He submitted to a breath test with the following results:  0.185 and 0.148, according to the police report. 

Westport police charged 23-year-old William Higgins, of Redding, with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, failure to drive right, failure to illuminate headlights and failure to stop at a stop sign.

Higgins was later released after posting a $500 cash bond.  He is due in Norwalk Superior Court August 20.