By C1 Staff
KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — A habitual felon found riding a bike drunk in 2012 was sentenced to five years in prison Tuesday.
The Salisbury Post reports that Bobby Lee Craig III was found by a Rowan County Sheriff’s deputy lying in the middle of the road. The deputy reported that Craig smelled strongly of alcohol, and also found several beer bottles around and on his person.
The deputy also reported a bicycle near Craig, which Craig said he was only pushing as he was too drunk to ride on it. The deputy impressed on Craig that he was not to ride the bicycle, and then allowed Craig to leave.
Later on that same night, the deputy saw Craig riding on the bicycle on another road. He stopped Craig and performed a sobriety test, then arrested Craig for driving while impaired. His blood alcohol limit was .16, twice the legal limit.
Craig has been previously convicted of three prior driving while impaired offenses that elevated his stats to be indicted for felony habitual impaired driving. IN addition, he was also convicted of felony breaking and entering, felony safecracking, and felony second-degree burglary.
DA Brandy Cook said it surprised many to learn that a person could be charged and convicted of driving while impaired while operating a bicycle. Bicycles and lawnmowers were included in the statutory definition of a vehicle in 2006.