Alleged drunken driver wanted to ‘see what his car could do’

Olympia Police arrested a 21-year-old man on Thursday after he allegedly drove with a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit and crashed his car in west Olympia, injuring a female passenger.

Eric A. Mullins allegedly told police that he drank a Long Island iced tea before getting behind the wheel of his 2004 Audi A4. He reportedly said that he wanted to “see what his car could do.”

After he crashed, his passenger was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with a fractured vertebrae.

Mullins appeared before Thurston County Superior Court Judge James Dixon on Monday, and the judge set bail at $5,000. He found probable cause for a vehicular assault charge.

According to court documents, police responded to reports of a car crash on Division Street Northwest about 11:30 p.m. Thursday and found a car that crashed into several trees. An officer saw a man standing near a woman who was lying on the ground, crying out in pain. A witness said he had seen the Audi leave the road and roll over.

An officer reported Mullins smelled of alcohol. Mullins reported he had a beer at work, then stopped at a downtown Olympia bar on his way home and had a Long Island iced tea, according to court documents. He said he was able to make it home, but then decided to take to take out his car.

Mullins submitted to a roadside breath test, which registered a blood alcohol level of .154, nearly twice the legal limit of .08. About 15 minutes later, he blew blood alcohol levels of .125 and .128, according to court documents.

This story was originally published November 15, 2016 at 10:18 AM with the headline "Alleged drunken driver wanted to ‘see what his car could do’."