Two people were arrested over the weekend for boating while intoxicated in separate incidents after both drivers nearly collided with boats from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Kwesi Okang Montaque, 39, of Little Rock, was arrested at around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and charged with misdemeanor boating while intoxicated, punishable by up to one year in jail, and misdemeanor reckless operations.
He was released from custody on a $1,250 bond and is set to appear in Garland County District Court on July 9.
According to the probable cause affidavit, three AGFC officers were idling in a boat while on patrol on Lake Hamilton near Blakely Mountain Dam when they reportedly noticed a blue pontoon boat heading their way.
At the last minute, the pontoon boat allegedly swerved in between the AGFC officers' boat and another boat without slowing down. The pontoon boat reportedly came very close to hitting both boats.
The officers activated their emergency lights and began following the pontoon boat. When the driver of the pontoon boat, later identified as Montaque, realized officers were following him, he reportedly turned his boat around and began to steer it directly toward the AGFC boat.
Montaque allegedly never reduced the speed of his watercraft and came within 2 to 3 inches of the AGFC boat at 10 to 15 mph. Officer Bradley Huggins reportedly had to perform evasive maneuvers to prevent a collision.
After officers began yelling at Montaque to shut off the motor, he complied and they approached his boat. As they explained the reason they stopped him, officers reportedly observed Montaque had watery, bloodshot eyes and smelled of alcohol. He was also allegedly "slumped over" in his chair.
Montaque reportedly admitted to consuming two drinks about two hours prior to the incident. Huggins had Montaque put on a life jacket and come aboard the AGFC boat where Huggins performed part of a field sobriety test, which he failed.
The officers took him to the boat dock at the Andrew H. Hulsey State Fish Hatchery and concluded the tests. Montaque reportedly had a blood alcohol content of 0.173 percent, more than twice the legal limit, and was taken into custody.
Later that day, Karie Hobby, 41, who lists a Talisman Street address, was arrested around 10 p.m. and also charged with misdemeanor boating while intoxicated and reckless operations, in addition to refusal to submit to test.
She was released on a $1,250 bond and is set to appear in district court on July 9.
According to the probable cause affidavit, two AGFC boats were stopped next to one another on Lake Hamilton when the officers noticed a boat heading their direction at a consistent rate of speed. Officers untied the boats from one another as the approaching boat reportedly continued in their direction without decreasing its speed.
When the boat was about 40 feet away, Officer Adam Baker reportedly activated his emergency lights in an attempt to get the boat to stop or change course. About the same time, the boat began to slow and turn to the left. Baker noted that a woman, later identified as Hobby, was allegedly operating the boat.
Baker conducted a stop on the boat and asked Hobby if she had been drinking. Hobby allegedly stated she had but her last drink was about five hours earlier. Hobby reportedly boarded Baker's boat and failed part of a field sobriety test.
A passenger on the boat was given custody of the watercraft, and Hobby was transported to the Garland County Detention Center where she reportedly refused to give a sufficient blood alcohol content test.
Local on 07/03/2018