A Colorado man who was so drunk he got stuck in a roundabout at Acadia National Park pleaded guilty to operating under the influence.
Parker Emerson, 66, of Denver entered a guilty plea to operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs with a blood alcohol content above .08 on Wednesday in U.S. District Court of Maine in Bangor. Emerson was caught driving drunk by a park ranger on July 31, court records said.
One count of operating under the influence of alcohol or drugs was dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Emerson was sentenced to six months of probation on Wednesday. He was cooperative during his arrest, had no bail violations before the hearing and had no previous criminal history, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisa Ross said.
“I’m very remorseful,” Emerson said at sentencing. “It was a bad day and one I’ll regret for the rest of my life.”
The sentence needed to balance the fact that Emerson put himself and the public at risk, while acknowledging remorse he’s shown, Judge John Nivison said.
An employee at Schoodic Woods Campground reported a camper appeared “out of it” around 2:30 p.m. on July 31. A park ranger found Emerson, who said he had a couple beers and told the ranger that he wouldn’t drive, according to court records.
Around 8:15 p.m. that day, the ranger drove by the campsite and saw Emerson’s vehicle was gone, court records said. The ranger found Emerson driving on Fairview Drive, with a bicycle rack hanging off the rear passenger side.
The car circled the roundabout on the road repeatedly until it came to a stop in the middle and the ranger stopped Emerson, court records said. Emerson’s eyes were glossy, his speech was slurred and he “smelled like intoxicants.”
Emerson had a blood alcohol content of .27 when he took a breath test, according to court records.
