Penalties for DWI on water are same as on the road, agency says
Enforcement agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries cited five men for allegedly operating a boat while intoxicated over the 4th of July weekend.
According to a press release, agents arrested Bryce Busby, 23, of Monroe, on the Ouachita River in Ouachita Parish; Timothy Leblanc Jr., 21, of Jarreau, on False River in Pointe Coupee Parish; Christopher Edmond, 42, of Maurepas, on the Amite River in Livingston Parish; Christopher Ferachi, 21, of Baton Rouge, on the Tickfaw River in Livingston Parish and Paul Dehart, 47, of Morgan City, on Grassy Lake in St. Martin Parish for DWI on the water.
In Louisiana, a DWI on the water carries the same penalties and fines as on the road including jail time, fines and loss of driving and boating operator privileges, the release states
Anyone cited for a DWI on the water or on the road will lose his or her driver’s license and boating privileges for the specified time ordered by a judge. Also, each offense of operating a vehicle or vessel while intoxicated counts toward the total number of DWIs whether they happened on the water or road.
In Louisiana, a DWI can be issued to anyone operating a moving vessel or vehicle while impaired. First offense DWI carries a $300 to $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail, according to the release.
