Arkansas Man Falls Asleep At McDonald's Drive-Through, Gets DWI

With fast-food restaurants advertising late-night snacks with drive-through lanes open until after midnight, many people, especially those who live in the city, opt for the convenience of a quick midnight-meal. Picking up such a meal from the local fast-food restaurant's drive-through window typically takes a few minutes, particularly late at night when drive-through lines are short or non-existent.

But for one Arkansas man, a few minutes turned into nearly a quarter of an hour.

According to the Camden News, the extended stay in the drive-through lane was not the fault of the McDonald's employees - the man, himself, fell asleep at the wheel somewhere between the first and second drive-through lane pick-up windows.

At around 12:30AM Saturday morning, employees at the Camden, Arkansas, McDonald's fast-food restaurant contacted local police after waiting nearly fifteen minutes for 32-year-old Terrance Forte to drive his car from the first pick-up window to the second pick-up window to receive his late-night order. According to the official police report, Officer William Mahon reported Forte fell asleep inside his car with the engine running and his right foot on the car's brake. When Mahon tried to awake him from his mid-drive-through slumber, Forte handed the officer a $10 bill, apparently attempting to pay for his fast-food order.

To complicate the unusual incident, Camden News reports Forte could not locate his wallet or provide his identification when asked for by officers, even though Forte was holding his wallet in his hand. In addition, officers noted a strong smell of alcohol protruding from the car and Forte, himself, during questioning. When asked to take a field-sobriety test, Forte agreed -- and failed. At this point, officers carried Forte downtown, without his late-night snack.

Arriving at the Camden police station, officers administered a blood alcohol test, where Forte registered more than twice the legal limit with a 0.19. Under Arkansas law, a person is considered intoxicated if his or her blood-alcohol level is at 0.08 percent or higher. After a quick check of Forte's background and past criminal record, officers noted the drive-through incident marked the man's third DWI citation. After being cited for this third DWI, Forte was later released to the custody of a responsible adult.

Camden is located in Quachita County, Arkansas, and has a population of around 12,024 people. Ironically, famed prohibitionist Carrie Nation held a rally in the city in 1906, long before the first McDonald's drive-through opened.

Donna Collins, "You want black coffee with that?" Camden News. URL: (http://www.mondotimes.com/include/click?id=241).

"Man Cited for DWI at Arkansas Drive-Through" WRAL. URL: (http://www.wral.com/news/strange/story/1435953/).