Police Arrest Driver Found Asleep on Highway 100 Exit Ramp

A Northfield man has been arrested for being passed out drunk behind the wheel of his pickup in Golden Valley – his fourth drunken-driving arrest in 10 years.

Nicholas James Vititoe, 33, is charged with two felonies after his May 4 arrest: first-degree DWI and refusal to submit to a chemical test, each of which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in prison and a $14,000 fine.

Vititoe remains in the Hennepin County Jail on a $50,000 bond. He is scheduled to make a first appearance on the charges Tuesday in Hennepin County District Court.

According to the criminal complaint, signed by Golden Valley Police Sgt. Dennis Arons, police were called to the exit ramp from northbound Highway 100 onto westbound Highway 55 just after 6 a.m. May 4 on a report of a “slumper” – someone slumped over unconscious in a vehicle.

Police found Vititoe asleep behind the wheel of the pickup, which was running, with the gearshift in the “drive” position, according to the complaint.

One of the officers knocked on the pickup’s window several times and awakened Vititoe, instructing him to put the truck in “park” and open the window.

The officer noted a strong smell of alcohol coming from inside the pickup and said Vititoe had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and was having “trouble putting words together,” the complaint says.

Vititoe acknowledged that he had been drinking, and participated in field sobriety tests, according to the complaint. A preliminary breath test showed his blood-alcohol content to be .197 percent, more than twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

Vititoe was arrested and taken to police headquarters, where he asked to speak to an attorney. Vititoe used the telephone for about 10 minutes, after which he was asked to take a chemical test.

Vititoe told officers that he would take the test only in the presence of his lawyer, who he said would arrive in two hours, according to the complaint. Officers told him that was too long to wait and asked Vititoe again to take the test; he refused and was booked into jail.

During the booking process, Vititoe told police that he would “soon bail out and then begin driving again,” according to Arons’ account.

Vititoe’s criminal record includes three previous convictions for DWI: once in 2004 and twice in 2005. His driver’s license was canceled in 2005.