Man so drunk officer had to hold him up when doing field sobriety test
- Travis Uresk
- Jun 16
- 2 min read
by Travis Uresk
6-16-25
| Vernal, Ut. | June 15th, 2025 |
Officers were alerted to an attempt to locate (ATL) a black SUV leaving Bar 319. Officer Candelas saw the vehicle on Main Street turning South onto 500 East.
While the officer was behind the SUV, it was swerving out of the lane, almost hitting the curb on the West side of the road several times. A traffic stop was conducted near 700 South and 500 East.
Officer Candelas walked up to the passenger side window and saw one male inside the vehicle. The driver rolled down the window, and a strong odor of alcohol came from the SUV.
Inside the SUV, the officer noticed an open container of alcohol on the passenger seat and asked the driver to exit the vehicle with his driver's license. The driver pulled his wallet out, dropped it, and then nearly fell onto the ground when trying to pick it back up.
The driver was identified as 25-year-old Gavin J. Harrison Hal Laws, as indicated on his Utah driver's license.
Officer Candelas asked Gavin to submit to the standardized field sobriety test. He first refused, then said he wanted to do them.
When walking on a flat surface, the officer had to catch Gavin from falling onto the ground.
It was determined that he was under the influence to the point where he was unsafe to drive, so he was placed under arrest and transported to the Uintah County Jail, where he was booked for driving under the influence- 2nd offense in 10 years UCA (41-6a-502), Open container in a vehicle UCA (41-6a-526), and unsafe lane travel UCA (41-6a-804).
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