A Bowling Green city snowplow driver has been cited for driving while intoxicated on the job after reportedly plowing down a mailbox and a couple signs on Saturday.
Richard Downs, 48, Bowling Green, was cited for failure to maintain reasonable control, OVI/refusal and commercial driver’s license prohibitions while he was driving a snow plow.
According to the city, Downs has resigned and is no longer employed by Bowling Green.
Police were notified of the snowplow driver around 8:50 p.m., after a BGSU student called 911 to report that he was driving behind the truck as it knocked a mailbox to the ground on Klotz Road. The student continued following Downs in the snowplow onto East Napoleon Road then north onto South College Avenue.
As the student was speaking with police dispatch, he reportedly saw the truck strike what he believed was another mailbox, and knock it to the ground. That turned out to be a speed limit sign.
The student continued following the truck as it turned west onto East Wooster Street, where he reportedly saw the truck strike another traffic sign in front of BGSU’s Founders Hall.
As the police division was trying to locate the snowplow, the dispatch called Downs and tried to get him to stop. According to the police report, Downs acted like he could not hear and hung up the phone. Soon after a police officer saw Downs in his truck on East Poe Road near the Wood County Airport. The truck did not have its plow down, and it pulled up to the city’s public works fenced area.
An officer reported Downs exiting the truck and trying to put a code in the code box. Downs reportedly was acting as if the police weren’t speaking with him.
The police report said Downs’ clothes were disheveled and the front zipper was down on his pants. He reportedly could not stand without swaying, and sometimes grabbed the code box to maintain his balance. The report said Downs smelled like alcohol, his speech was slurred and his eyes were glassy and bloodshot. Downs told police he was tired and on medication.
The police asked Downs to recite the alphabet. He tried four times and reportedly was unable to do so. He was also asked to perform a walk and turn test. Downs reportedly had trouble, stumbled to maintain balance, then refused to continue trying.
Downs also reportedly refused to take a blood alcohol content breath test.
According to city policy, Downs was taken to the hospital by his department supervisor.
Downs, who has been employed by Bowling Green since 1994, is on leave currently with the city, according to Assistant Municipal Administrator Joe Fawcett.
“City protocols will be followed in response to this event and consideration will be made with regard to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment,” Fawcett stated.
