Police: Driver of truck dangling from overpass blew a .50
»Play Video
BEAVERTON, Ore. - The driver of a pickup that somehow ended up dangling off an overpass in Beaverton, Ore., on Saturday had a blood-alcohol level of .50 - more than six times the legal limit of .08, police said.
The crash happened around 3:30 p.m. on the Denney Road overpass along Highway 217, trapping the driver in a precarious position.
When police arrived at the scene, the driver was still inside the truck.
A Technical Rescue Team from Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue was called there as well and secured the truck to a fire engine to keep it from falling. They then used a fire engine basket to get the driver to safety.
The driver was later identified as 38-year-old Matthew Alan Hamilton of Beaverton. He was taken to a local hospital to get checked out - police said injuries he suffered in the crash did not appear to be life-threatening.
When Hamilton's blood-alcohol level was checked, it registered .50, more than six times Oregon's legal limit of .08, police said, adding that he will be charged with DUI and driving while suspended from a previous DUI conviction once he is released from the hospital.
The crash blocked all of the southbound lanes of the street for five hours.
.50Â That would indicate that 1/2 of 1% of his blood was ethanol. Lethal.
Â
That unlikely test score probably gets him back on the road.
 @brewzbrothers He was already suspended. So that won't stop him.  You're right about his .50 reading. He shoul've died from alcohol poisoning.
 @brewzbrothers For non-heavy drinkers who have spent a lot of time pickled, yes, it would be. For a "professional" drunk, it's high, but not unheard of. I know a paramedic and a critical care nurse, and some of the stories they have of what people do to themselves are amazing.
@RN1@brewzbrothers
I read a report of a Navy CPO whoâs BAC was like .7 and he was still walking and talking (sort of). The report quoted someone who said that a level that high is normally only reported by a coroner. If you spend your life drinking very heavily, your body adjusts to higher than normal levels. Â
I wonder what his BAC was at the time of the crash? The tested him after crash, rescue etc... I'm kind of surprised he's still alive.
being a victim of a drunk driver , i think they should hang his ass back up there by his nuts till he falls to his death before he hurts someone
 @greengrower I am a non practicing alcoholic. I quit years ago. And I'm so glad. I agree with you. He will kill or hurt someone. It could be me or you or a member of my family or yours. I hate alcohol and what it does to those who drink and anyone around them. I don't believe prohibition works, history proved that. I don't know what the answer is. Don't drink obviously but people are always going to do it.
Its Popeye!
I have no doubt that he was intoxicated. However I am doubting the .050 claims. That is lethal territory.Â
 @seattleemt I have heard from a drug and alcohol professional that though it's an extremely high reading it does happen now and then. But it's lethal for most, no matter how many years one has been drinking.
Just curious, how many beers or shots of hard AÂ does it take to get a .50 BAC? I'm thinking this guy should've died from that high of a level.
Something's not right with the BAC, at .50 he should of been dead.
Â
BAC = .30-.50 = Symptoms are complete unconsciousness, depressed or absent reflexes, subnormal body temperature, incontinence, and impairment of circulation and respiration.
Â
Death may occur at .37% or higher. BACs of .45% and higher are fatal to nearly all individuals.
Â
 @fumblefacedolt Magic words here: NEARLY ALL. It doesn't happen often. But it seems to be happening more often these days.
i probably would've blown .50 friday night but i'm still here...
 @bartle_doo Kapornakompums on the flatliner. Malt liqees.
 @fumblefacedolt It all depends on tolerance. Ive had a .35 and didnt feel very drunk but another time I blew a .28 and I felt really drunk. When you drink all day your tolerance goes up fast and when you dont drink at all it goes down fast. Most people would probably be dead at .50 so he must be a hardcore alcoholic.
Key word is in your last sentence, NEARLY, meaning that some pukes like this guy have over time as an alocholic built up such a tolerance to alcohol that they can read these obscene levels and still function to some extent.
@JFR You are right on JFR! I know someone personally who was able to withstand this level BAC no problem. After 50 yrs. of heavy drinking, the guy finally died and cause of death is officially listed as ethanol poisoning. It can happen. This guy in Beaverton, Or with the .50 BAC is no youngster and has obviously been working on this for quite some time.
The laws regarding driving under the influence need to to toughened up. When someone CHOOSES to drink and drive, they are risking the lives of innocent people because of their selfish decision. They should be charged with an equivalent of attempted murder or assault with a deadly weapon because that is essentially what the vehicle is when one of these morons is driving it.
Idiot was driving on a suspended license - probably even before he went out and got drunk. People who drive on suspended licenses should have their vehicles impounded immediately. Then maybe they won't drive DRUNK too!
@Traveler People who HAVE a suspended license should have their vihicles impounded until the suspension is lifted.
Wow. Â And he has a history of this. Â A miracle he hasn't killed some innocent person just going about their business.
 @Doxie I am sure the legal system will give him more opportunities. He will be out of jail within 90 days.
 @al_wa Hate to agree with you but you are probably right.  The system sucks.
Seems he was drunk! Thankfully, he didn't hurt any innocent people.....just another of those who disregard a suspended license.Â
The old saying 'God protects drunks and idiots' comes to mind...
2nd DUI conviction and he blocked traffic for five hours? They should have let him fall...
too bad they didn't accidentally drop him off the side of the overpass knowing this now.
Loser drunk. Someone needs to whack him in the other eye so he has a matched set. Then throw him in jail for a very long time.
LOSER!!!!!! 38 years old.Time to grow up dude.
Nice to know there will be no proper repercussions to his actions UNTIL he kills someone.
 @saramaylay I hope it will be himself and not someone innocent.
They should send this guy the bill for his rescue. Â
I think the 0.5 were from blood drawn. Most people would die from alcohol poisoning at these levels. He must have a "sport liver".Â
He's obviously never going to stop drinking and driving. Â Have fun with that Oregon. Â
 @lakeview He might vacation in Washington ya know.
Wow.. he should be dead... That BAC would be enough to kill most people...
Â
Not to mention how much time elapsed before they could test him. It could have been higher than that. Obviously a professional alcoholic.
 @Poisonous Giraffe Except a hard drinking alcoholic......
too bad when they realized who this rummy was and he was beyond potted that the firemen didn't just shove the truck off the overpass - with him in it.
This moron should be careful someone doesnt throw a left hand punch to his head.......idiot!!
 @Deanotoyou looks like they already did...
 @Susabelle  @Deanotoyou All good dogs go to heaven.
Alcohol impairs your judgement. It doesn't allow you to make reasonable decisions. So how can this guy be held responsible? The fault should go to the bar or store that sold him the stuff. If a woman can claim rape/molestation because she was too drunk to think strait then how can we in our right minds hold drunk drivers responsible for their actions?
 @Barlion I really miss not having down thumbs on this forum.
 @I Like Meat  @Barlion Amen! Â
 @Barlion You are making the assumption that he was drunk when he bought the liquor, that's your first mistake. The second is that with hardcore alcoholics, they don't look drunk until they're way past being legal to drive. My ex-wife blew a .44 and was still walking and talking (cussing and swearing to be precise) all the way to the hospital.  She even had her two small kids in the car with her, she was trouble from the minute we met.
 @Barlion Seriously?  You're comparing this drunk driving idiot to a woman being raped?   None of your analogy makes sense at all.  Scary thinking there.........
 @Barlion Guns don't kill people, people do.
 @SoTweetie  @Barlion Amen to that SoTweetie!!
@Barlion That is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard. He knew full well before he started drinking that he was going to be driving. Its a little thing called self-accountability.... its part of being a grown up.
@Barlion Im fat! , damn spoon!
@Barlion so with that train of thought then if someone is stabbed it is the stores fault for selling the attacker the knife? This has to take the cake for the stupidest comment i have ever read on these forums. You are the king of stupidity Barlion....congrats.
@Barlion Your stupidity is showing, might want to fix that.
 @Barlion Yours is one of the dumbest posts I've seen in a long time. Did someone force him to drink the alcohol?
 @Barlion I hope you're not being serious. I'm not even going to go into how idiodic your comment is. Seek help.