Posted: 12/31/2009 1:07:32 PM EDT
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South Dakota drunk driver Marguerite Engle's blood alcohol level may have broken state record
BY Rich Schapiro DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER Originally Published:Thursday, December 31st 2009, 12:19 PM Updated: Thursday, December 31st 2009, 2:45 PM An absolutely bombed South Dakota woman - found passed out in stolen cars twice this month - had a blood alcohol level nearly nine times the legal limit, authorities said. State troopers discovered Marguerite Engle, 45, slumped behind the wheel of a stolen delivery van Dec. 1. The dazed drunkard recorded a mind-boggling .708 blood alcohol content - believed to be the highest in state history. Meade County State's Attorney Jesse Sondreal said the highest blood alcohol level previously recorded was .56. Levels of .40 percent are considered lethal. "She was almost double that," Sondreal told the Daily News. "The BAC is almost incomprehensible." Engle was hospitalized in Sturgis, about 200 miles west of Pierre, and freed on bail. But her problems didn't end there. Days after missing her court date, Engle was found drunk and passed out behind the wheel of another stolen vehicle on another highway near Sturgis. In this case, the car was in a ditch beside the road, authorities said. Officials are still waiting for the results of blood tests from her second misadventure. "Given my review of the investigative summary, I'm confident it'll be well beyond the .08 threshold," Sondreal said. "But I'm fairly confident it won't be setting any records." A judge on Tuesday ordered Engle held without bail. She's charged with two counts of driving under the influence and could be slapped with additional charges for grand theft. Engle's outlandish drunken escapades have stunned officials in Sturgis, best known for its annual motorcycle rally. "The odds are beyond that what I would assume it would take to win the lottery," Sondreal said. "We're concerned about her. If she continues on this course, it's not going to end well." http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2009/12/31/2009-12-31_south_dakota_drunk_driver_marguerite_engle.html 
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