Driver with prior DUIs crashed into another car while trying to urinate into beer can
James Howard, 53, was arrested by law enforcement officials in Montana on the evening of Nov. 8 in Missoula. weerapat1003 – stock.adobe.com
A Montana man with four prior impaired-driving convictions told police he crashed into another vehicle because he was trying to urinate into a Budweiser can while driving, according to a probable cause affidavit.
James Howard, 53, was arrested Nov. 8 after his Chevrolet Suburban struck the back of a Volkswagen at an Interstate 90 exit ramp in Missoula, the affidavit—posted by The Smoking Gun—states.
“I’m going to jail for a f–king long time,” Howard reportedly told the arresting officer. He had been driving on a suspended license when Montana Highway Patrol Trooper Van Kerkove spotted him holding a large Budweiser can at a Grant Creek Town Pump gas station shortly after 9 p.m.
Trooper Van Kerkove observed that Howard’s pants were wet, his speech was slurred, and his breath smelled strongly of alcohol. Both drivers had pulled over to the gas station after the crash, which caused no injuries.
According to the affidavit, Howard moved the can to his center console and told the trooper it contained urine, not beer. He admitted he had rear-ended the Volkswagen while attempting to relieve himself into the can.
The Volkswagen driver, Scott Drury, told officers he had stopped at a light on North Reserve Street after exiting I-90 when he saw headlights approaching rapidly. He “told his girlfriend to brace for impact” before the collision, the filing notes.
Howard admitted to consuming one beer and acknowledged he had “more than a couple of DUIs” and wasn’t supposed to be driving. He refused field sobriety tests, saying, “I just can’t do it.” A preliminary breath test showed his alcohol level was more than three times Montana’s legal limit.
Records indicate Howard had previous impaired-driving convictions in Montana in 1994, 1995, and 2007, and another in North Dakota earlier this year. He was arrested on charges of aggravated DUI, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and careless driving, according to the affidavit and charging documents.
The Post has reached out to Howard and Drury for comment.
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