EVERETT — A Snohomish County man’s history of driving impaired, and reportedly ignoring the legal consequences, might have finally caught up with him.
Alex Matthew Otness is looking at a felony charge after a Dec. 8 traffic stop by a Washington State Patrol trooper, accompanied by a drug-sniffing dog.
The south Everett man, 36, reportedly was at the wheel of a red Dodge pickup when he blew through a stop sign near the park-and-ride lot at 112th Street, according to documents filed in Snohomish County Superior Court.
The trooper saw Otness run the stop sign and then documented signs of impairment. Moreover, the man was driving with his license suspended and was wanted on three warrants, documents show.
A search of his vehicle turned up a pipe for smoking drugs and a baggie containing heroin, according to the trooper’s report. Otness was charged with one count of felony possession of a controlled substance and one count of driving under the influence.
“This defendant has had four prior DUI convictions and two prior convictions for driving without an interlock device as required,” deputy prosecutor Lyndi Stone wrote. “The defendant continues to drive while impaired and without a valid license, endangering other motorists on the roadway.”
During the course of his life, Otness reportedly has been sought on nearly two dozen arrest warrants, including five since the middle of this year. He’s been jailed since his arrest, with bail earlier set at $25,000.
Scott North: 425-339-3431; north@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snorthnews.
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