By Jon Johnson
SAFFORD – One man was arrested and another taken to jail on a warrant after apparently being too drunk to stay awake long enough to get their late-night food cravings satisfied.
Logan Samuel Schmidt, 20, of Pima, was arrested for DUI after being found passed out in the drive through lane of McDonald’s with his vehicle running in gear with his foot on the brake. His passenger, Tracy Garrett Seale, 23, of Pima, was booked into the Graham County Jail on a warrant for failure to pay a fine on a DUI charge from 2015.
Authorities were dispatched to the McDonald’s at about 2:36 a.m. on Saturday regarding a green, 1997 Ford pickup truck blocking traffic with two males passed out inside.
Upon arrival, an officer walked up to the driver’s side window, which was rolled down, and saw the truck was in gear with the driver’s foot on the brake. The officer attempted to shift the truck into park out of fear that if he attempted to wake the driver it could startle him and cause a collision. Unfortunately, as the officer moved the gear toward park, the driver, identified as Schmidt, woke up when the gear shift was in reverse and took his foot off the brake.
The truck then began to go into reverse and the officer yelled at the driver multiple times but didn’t get a response, according to his police report. The truck continued in reverse over a curb on the north side of the parking lot, causing Schmidt’s foot to reengage with the brake just a few feet from an irrigation canal.
The officer then placed the truck in park and turned off the ignition. Several attempts were made to wake the men, and when Schmidt awoke for a moment the officer asked him how much he had to drink. Schmidt allegedly replied “a lot” and then fell back asleep.
Paramedics from Lifeline Ambulance arrived and the men were eventually roused. Schmidt then allegedly admitted to equally splitting a 12-pack of Coors Light with Seale.
Schmidt was eventually taken to the Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center by the officer and had his blood taken for testing purposes. He was then released to a friend at the Safford Police Department.
Seale was booked into the jail on his warrant, and Nuttall’s Towing removed the truck.
