Before arresting freshman state Rep. Brion Curran on suspicion of driving under the influence, Chisago County received two calls complaining about her speed, weaving and veering into a ditch, according to the dispatch report Monday.
The first report to dispatch came shortly after 2 a.m. Monday and complained of a vehicle going at an “excessive speed and over lane lines,” the sheriff’s office said. The second caller reported a vehicle veering into a ditch.
After the second call, deputies found and stopped the vehicle, arresting the driver who showed signs of impairment, the report said.
A horizontal gaze test was conducted at the scene, but the driver wouldn’t participate in other field sobriety tests, the report said. A test at the jail found Curran’s blood alcohol level to be 0.16%, double the legal limit for driving.
Prosecutors said they expect to charge the 38-year-old Curran on Tuesday. Curran remained in the Chisago County jail Tuesday on suspicion of third-degree DWI.
Attempts to reach Curran for comment Monday were unsuccessful. Curran represents District 36B in the northeastern Twin Cities metro that includes White Bear Lake, Gem Lake and Birchwood Village. The state website lists Curran’s non-legislative career as social services.
Curran won a close race in the swing district in the northeast Twin Cities suburban in 2022. She is the second DFLer and third legislator to be arrested on suspicion of a DWI this year.
State Rep. Dan Wolgamott, DFL-St. Cloud, pleaded guilty in Kanabec County to fourth-degree driving under the influence after he was pulled over July 7 by a state trooper just outside Mora.
His blood alcohol content was measured at 0.09%, above the legal limit of 0.08%. His plea agreement called for a 45-day jail sentence that would be set aside for two years, a $400 fine and other requirements including chemical health assessments.
In February, state Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, was arrested in the early morning hours for speeding a few miles from his home. His blood alcohol level was measured at .15%. He pleaded guilty in July.
He reached a plea agreement requiring him to admit to fourth-degree driving while impaired in exchange for receiving a 90-day suspended jail sentence and two years’ unsupervised probation. Grossell’s plea deal said he was receiving inpatient treatment at a Hazelden Betty Ford facility.