Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

Independent Student Newspaper Since 1969

The Badger Herald

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Drunken driving causes deaths

The driver involved in an August crash that killed three University of Wisconsin students was legally drunk, according to a report released by the Dane County Coroner Tuesday.

Rick Putze, 22, had a blood alcohol concentration of .144 when the car he was driving hit a tree on Midvale Boulevard August 27. The legal limit in Wisconsin is .08.

Putze and one passenger, 23-year-old Lindsey Plank, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash and the other passenger, 22-year-old Daniel Myers was taken to UW Hospital after the crash and pronounced dead later that morning.

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“It’s rare to see something like this,” UW spokesperson John Lucas said, adding the crash was “unusual and kind of shocking.”

Susan Crowley, director of Preventative Services at University Health Services, agreed, adding UW students who over-consume alcohol typically walk to their residences.

The scarcity of parking spaces around campus means few students own a car or even have access to one, Crowley said, significantly reducing the possibility of drunken driving.

One concern with drunken driving near campus involves the use of mopeds. Last month, Jonathan Casillas, senior linebacker for the Wisconsin Badgers football team, was issued a DUI while operating a Moped. His blood-alcohol content was .15 when he was stopped just after midnight on Aug. 24.

“We are finding that students aren’t thinking about [mopeds] in the same way that they would a vehicle,” Crowley said.

Even though drunken driving does not represent a huge problem on campus, steps are still being taken to prevent it and other alcohol-related problems.

“We continue to do a lot of education with students,” Crowley said.

She said UHS continues to hand out BAC cards, which estimate one’s BAC based on age, sex, weight and number of drinks consumed.

Crowley said these cards help students keep track of their alcohol consumption so they can make informed decisions.

Even a BAC of less than .08 can be dangerous, Crowley said. Driving abilities can be impaired even at BAC levels of less than .05, according to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

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