Edgar Man Charged with 5th OWI

Wednesday, April 17th, 2024 -- 3:01 PM

(Mike Leischner, WSAU) An Edgar man is accused of his 5th OWI after a crash on Highway 153 near Eau Pleine Park Road earlier this month.

According to Mike Leischner with WSAU, court documents show police were called to the area on Saturday, April 6th after someone reported an erratic driver that had gone into the ditch.

When officers arrived, they found 47-year-old Dennis M. Zielinski passed out behind the wheel of a pickup. Officers said he appeared confused and could not recite basic information including his phone number and home address.

He also told officers that he didn’t know where he was driving from. Investigators also said he didn’t respond to some of their questions, and then randomly told officers he loved them.

His blood alcohol level was .232, according to a breath test. Because of his prior OWI convictions, his limit for driving is .02. Zielinski was released on a $5,000 cash bond and returns to court on June 5th. If found guilty he faces up to 10 years in prison and thousands in fines.

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