Man accused of wheelchair drunken driving

UTICA, Mich., June 9 (UPI) -- A 55-year-old Michigan man was charged with operating a motorized wheelchair on a city street while heavily intoxicated, police said.

Raymond Kulma was arrested on May 27, The Macomb Daily in Mount Clemens reported Thursday.

Kulma has been arrested six other times for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, but Utica police Chief David Faber said, "This certainly is one for the books."

Police were called to the Utica Senior Citizen Housing complex because a man allegedly hit Kulma in the face during an argument, Faber said. When police arrived, Kulma took the man's wheelchair and started driving away.

Officer Mike Wilber saw Kulma driving the wheelchair down the middle of a road and stopped him.

"Mr. Kulma was in danger of his own life as well as having someone avoid hitting him and then swerving off the road and slamming into a pole or building," Faber said. "Officers recognized right away that Mr. Kulma had been drinking.

"Mr. Kulma registered a 0.24 blood-alcohol content, which is three times higher than the legal limit."

Kulma was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated.