SPRINGFIELD — A driver, who was pulled over for speeding, tried to switch places with his dog to avoid arrest, police in southeast Colorado said.
An officer watched him maneuvering inside the car before he got out on the passenger side on Saturday night in Springfield, a town of about 1,300 people on the state’s Eastern Plains, police said in a Facebook post Sunday.
The man said he was not behind the wheel and clearly showed signs of being drunk, police said. He ran from the officer when asked about how much he had had to drink and was caught within about 20 yards, police said.
After being taken to the hospital to be checked out, the man was arrested on suspicion of charges including driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs and driving while ability impaired as well as for previous warrants for his arrest.
“It was discovered that the male was driving from Las Animas to Pueblo and got lost in Springfield,” police said in Facebook.
Pueblo is west of Las Animas. Springfield is east of Las Animas.
“The dog was given to an acquaintance of the driver to take care of while the party was in jail. The dog does not face any charges and was let go with just a warning,” the Facebook post said.
The Colorado Sun contributed to this report.