Man arrested for DWI after drinking beer in front of officers

NEW MADRID - A driver might want to rethink when is a good time to quench his thirst.

On Friday evening, New Madrid officers conducted a traffic stop on Virginia Avenue near SEMO Drive, according to Police Chief Joey Higgerson.

"While the officers were speaking with the driver, the driver grabbed a beer from the center console of the vehicle and took a drink," Higgerson said in a news release.

After failing a series of field sobriety tests, the driver, who was not named by police, was arrested. He was transported to the New Madrid County Sheriff's Department where he recorded over the legal limit of alcohol in a breathalyzer test.

The driver, who was cited for driving while intoxicated and open container, was then processed and released, the police chief said.