A Washington woman’s drive ended in a ditch Sunday evening, followed by a hospital blood draw with a number that takes some explaining: .40.
The crash happened around 6 p.m. on Aug. 16 in the 5100 block of Long Lake Road SE in unincorporated Port Orchard. The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office said the Olalla woman left the roadway and crashed into a ditch.
Getting her out required some substantial disassembly. South Kitsap Fire and Rescue crews used hydraulic rescue tools, commonly called the jaws of life, and removed the roof of the car to free her.
What Happened After the Crash?
The woman was taken to St. Anthony Hospital. The sheriff’s office said a blood draw indicated a blood alcohol concentration of .40, and medical staff determined she needed to remain hospitalized for observation and medical detoxification.
The Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office did not announce an arrest. Instead, the agency said information from the crash will be forwarded to the Kitsap County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review and a decision on charges.
For now, the driver’s immediate destination was the hospital. Any decision on charges will come after prosecutors review the case.
What a .40 BAC Means
Washington’s DUI law sets a per se threshold of .08 when an analysis of a driver’s breath or blood shows that concentration within two hours of driving. The .40 reading reported by the sheriff’s office is five times that threshold.
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism says the risk of serious harm rises along with blood alcohol concentration. At high levels, alcohol can cause loss of consciousness and interfere with basic life-support functions such as breathing, heart rate, and temperature control. Alcohol overdose can be fatal.
How alcohol affects a particular person varies. NIAAA lists factors including alcohol tolerance, sex, drinking speed, medications, and how much food a person has eaten.
That variation is why a .40 reading cannot reliably be converted into a specific number of drinks without knowing considerably more about the person and circumstances.
Facebook Had a Few Questions
The .40 BAC drew plenty of attention when the sheriff’s post reached Facebook.
“How does a body stay awake long enough to get that drunk?” one commenter asked.
The decidedly roofless condition of the car gave people something else to talk about.
“She now has a convertible,” one person wrote.
“Try explaining to your insurance company why you need a new roof on your car,” another joked.
Some reactions were more personal. One commenter said they had checked into rehab with a .36 BAC and were now 1,925 days sober.
“When I checked into rehab I was .36. .40 is nuts,” the commenter wrote. “1925 days sober now.”
Several others expressed hope that the woman would get help following the crash. The .40 reading also left people wondering how someone could reach that level of intoxication and still be behind the wheel.