A 35-year-old Puna man arrested early Tuesday evening after police found him passed out in the driver’s seat of a Geo Metro near the intersection of Ainaloa Boulevard and Stardust Drive allegedly had a blood-alcohol content almost three times the legal limit for driving.

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A 35-year-old Puna man arrested early Tuesday evening after police found him passed out in the driver’s seat of a Geo Metro near the intersection of Ainaloa Boulevard and Stardust Drive allegedly had a blood-alcohol content almost three times the legal limit for driving.

According to county Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen, police officers responding to a call for a welfare check saw smoke coming from the vehicle’s engine bay and Randall gave a breath sample measured at 0.223. The legal threshold for intoxication is 0.08.

Randall is charged with habitual DUI, drinking while driving plus driving after his license was suspended and without insurance.

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According to Waltjen, prosecutors have charged Randall as a “highly intoxicated driver,” because his blood-alcohol content was higher than 0.15, which means the habitual DUI charge is elevated from a Class C to a Class B felony offense,

Randall made his initial appearance in Hilo District Court on Monday afternoon. His request for supervised release — a form of cashless bail — was denied and his bail was maintained at $51,000. He was also ordered to return to court for a preliminary hearing this afternoon.

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