OGDEN, Utah, March 14, 2022 (Gephardt Daily) — A suspected drunk driver was arrested in Ogden Sunday after he was found unconscious in a car with the motor running and with an unrestrained toddler who was trying to wake him up.
Prior to officers’ arrival on the scene, near 1300 South and Washington Blvd., the 2-year-old girl had been trying to climb out a vehicle window, said a witness who had remained at the scene.
The witness reportedly feared “that minor would fall out into the street,” says a probable cause statement filed on suspect Dominick Richard Ludwick, 24. “Officers had to wake up Nick, who was in the driver seat of the vehicle that was running.”
Police detected the odor of marijuana in the vehicle, the statement says.
“Nick had bloodshot eyes that were glossy and his eyelids appeared heavy. Nick went through standard field sobriety tests “and failed the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus
6/6 Clues and showed Vertical Gaze Nystagmus in both eyes,” the statement says.
“Nick also had lack of convergence (LOC) where the eyes did not cross. His Left eye remained forward while his eye had crossed. LOC is consistent with marijuana use, as well as the redness in the eyes, and the droopiness in his eyes.”
Ludwick failed additional tests, and the mother of the child came to pick her up. Police found the toddler’s car seat was not strapped in.
The suspect declined to cooperate with a blood test, then granted permission, then revoked his permission, the statement says. A warrant was granted to obtain his blood.
Ludwick was booked into jail on charges of:
- Endangerment of a child, a third-degree felony
- Driving under the influence with a minor in the vehicle, a class A misdemeanor
- Refusal of chemical test, a class B misdemeanor
Ludwick’s bail was set at $10,000. He has been released from the Weber County jail.
