EC man faces OWI cases filed just 13 days apart

Matt Milner, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

EAU CLAIRE —An Eau Claire man faces two separate felony cases after authorities say he racked up a pair of OWI crashes less than two weeks apart.

Court records show the first case against Eric Clark, 48, was filed April 3. It involves charges of OWI, disorderly conduct and failure to install an ignition interlock device.

The criminal complaint says officers were called to a home in the 6500 block of North Shore Drive for a report that a driver hit a mailbox and continued to drive over a bird feeder. The responding officer found Clark at the scene, though he was “having a hard time walking or standing.”

When Clark failed field sobriety tests he took a breath test. That returned a result of .17, a bit more than twice the legal limit.

Then, on April 16, officers were called to a crash in the Costco parking lot. The driver whose vehicle was struck told officers Clark drove into her vehicle head-on, and kept the accelerator pressed down until she backed up. The criminal complaint said Clark then drove into some grass before stopping.

The officer said Clark was slurring his words and seemed confused by questions. He was unable to stand up for field sobriety tests and blew a .281 with a breath test — more than three and a half times the legal limit. That incident led to charges of OWI and failure to install an ignition interlock device.

Court records indicate Clark has five prior convictions for drunken driving. Those cases date back to 1997 and took place in Eau Claire, Chippewa and Buffalo counties.

Both cases involve a fifth or sixth OWI, but that could change depending on the outcome of the first case to be decided. Under Wisconsin law, a fifth or sixth OWI carries the potential for fines of up to $25,000 and prison for up to 10 years.

If the first case to be decided results in conviction, prosecutors will likely change the second case to a charge of OWI 7. That matters when considering the potential sentencing. A seventh, eighth, or ninth OWI also carries fines of up to $25,000, but the prison term is considerably longer. Whereas a sixth OWI has a minimum of one year the minimum for a seventh is three years, and up to 12.5 years behind bars.