WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — A Wausau man turned in by his employer on suspicion of his 7th OWI made a court appearance today in Marathon County.
Keith Gardner, age 53, was found passed out behind the wheel of his Jeep last month after arriving for his shift at Red Robin in Rib Mountain. When Police arrived they found him smoking a small cigar and detected a strong odor of alcohol on his breath. He did tell officers that he had consumed a “couple of beers” before getting behind the wheel.
Police say Gardner refused a field sobriety test and when offered a breathalyzer, simply told the police to take him to jail. He also refused a blood test. However, police were able to obtain a warrant for the draw.
Gardner pled not guilty to the charges and was bound over for trial earlier this month. He’s being held on $10,000 cash bond.
His previous OWI convictions date back to 1994, with the most recent coming in 2009.
A trial date has not been set.
