AMESBURY – A clumsy attempt by a Salem, New Hampshire man to order fast food from a McDonald’s drive-through window resulted in his arrest on Tuesday night on a third drunk driving charge.
Malcolm B. Haight, 48, of Harrod Street, was also charged with failing to stop or give in and was held in Newburyport District Court on bail of $ 5,000 the next morning following his indictment.
If Haight is on bail, which according to his attorney Judge Peter Doyle was very unlikely, he will not be allowed to drink alcohol and use a SCRAM alcohol monitor. He will appear for a pre-trial hearing on June 16.
Amesbury Police Officer Kyle Arseneau first noticed that Haight’s pickup was parked horizontally in three spaces on the McDonald’s property at around 11:15 p.m. When Arseneau took a closer look, Haight struggled to position himself to place an order in the drive-through window.
“The pick-up had to drive backwards and forwards repeatedly to get properly into the designated area. The vehicle then reversed and drove into the first drive-through window and drove forward and drove forward with the left tire over the curb” wrote Arseneau in his report.
After buying his food, Haight pulled out of the parking lot and turned left onto Route 110 towards Salisbury. At the Elm Street / Clarks Road intersection, Haight didn’t stop at a red light until his truck crossed the stop line. Arseneau turned on his emergency light and pulled Haight over a moment later.
Haight showed several signs of alcohol impairment and had Arseneau conduct a series of field sobriety tests on him. Haight failed enough with them that Arseneau arrested him for drinking under the influence of driving. The official soon learned that, according to Arseneau’s report, Haight had two previous OUI convictions, one in 1998 and one in 2004.
Haight’s attorney Julie Ouellette argued that since the cases are so old and he pays child support for five children, the bail shouldn’t be higher than $ 1,000.
Doyle disagreed and set a $ 5,000 bail, but told Haight he could appeal the bail to the Salem Supreme Court.
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