Utah troopers report arrest under new DUI threshold

Utah troopers report arrest under new DUI threshold

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Utah troopers say they have arrested their agency’s first person under the state’s new lowered DUI threshold.

Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Nick Street says the Tuesday-night arrest would have happened before the law went into effect, but the measure makes it more likely that the person will face criminal charges.

He says the driver was stopped in a rural area and an initial test showed a blood-alcohol level above .08, but took two hours before the person was tested on a breathalyzer that is admissible in court. The driver’s blood-alcohol content was then measured at .059 percent.

The 0.05 percent limit is the lowest in the United States. Troopers have arrested a total of 29 people since the law went into effect on Dec. 30. The others were above .08.

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