Blind drunk driver falls flat on face in front of judge

A reported legally blind man arrested on Sunday night for driving while intoxicated, has been re-arrested for public intoxication after allegedly coming to court drunk. Mark Alan Watson, 41, of Bartlesville, was about to be arraigned on Monday on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, leaving the scene of an accident, driving under suspension and assault on a police officer when he fell on his face in front of Associate District Judge Russell Vaclaw. Vaclaw had just called Watson’s name to approach the bench to answer to the charges when Watson stood and paused before collapsing, striking his head on the jury box on the way down.

Immediately, several onlookers went to render aid but, Watson, who at the time was free on $7,500 bond from the arrest, was able to get up and walk to the bench. “Are you intoxicated?” Vaclaw asked. “No, I’m blind,” Watson replied. At that point, Vaclaw called for a Washington County Sheriff’s Office deputy to administer a field sobriety test. When Watson overheard Vaclaw’s call to the deputy, he said that because he was blind he couldn’t take the standard field sobriety test but that he could take a breathalyzer, a test commonly administered to determine levels of intoxication.



Minutes later, after deputies responded and took Watson to the sheriff’s office downstairs, he reportedly failed a breathalyzer test. According to the probable cause affidavit filed in the original case, around 2:28 a.m. this morning, Bartlesville police were alerted to a hit and run in the area of Delaware and Frank Phillips Boulevard. The alleged victim reportedly told police that she was driving west on Frank Phillips at about 30 mph when Watson’s vehicle failed to yield at Delaware, colliding with her. She said the vehicle stopped briefly before speeding off. The vehicle, which had “recent damage” on it, was then found in the parking lot of a nearby diner.

Watson reportedly told officers that he had been in the area and had been in a collision moments before but then said that he “felt a bump but was unsure if he had been involved in a collision.” When police asked Watson what happened, he reportedly said, “I’m (expletive) drunk, I was driving but I did not run the stop sign. That (expletive) hit me.” When asked to take a field sobriety test Watson reportedly declined, saying, “I’m (expletive) drunk. I’m blind anyways and I can’t drive.” As police were placing him in the back of a squad car, he reportedly yelled profanities and kicked one officer in the knee. After he was re-arrested for public intoxication, bond was re-set at $15,000.