(KGTV) - Police in Oregon made the "arrest" of a lifetime recently - with the help of their pal, Santa.
St. Helens Police officers said the Abominable Snowman was arrested on Monday for "impaired driving."
"Mr. Snowman admitted that he was driving home from a holiday party where he drank a little too much peppermint schnapps," an "Officer Claus" said. "He thought that he would be okay to drive the short distance back to his house. Clearly, that was not the case."
The arrest was actually part of a stunt to raise awareness of impaired driving during the holiday season. As many as 10,00 Americans died every year due to alcohol-related crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Administration. Over five years, almost 4,000 people died in drunk driving crashes in December, the organization said.
If planning to drink or travel late at night this season, police recommend you:
- Plan ahead for a designated driver or arranging for a taxi or ride-share vehicle,
- Be a responsible host and offer guests plenty of non-alcoholic beverages,
- Don't let someone drive if they are impaired,
- Buckle up, and
- Drive defensively at all times
As for "Mr. Snowman," he was arrested on DUII and reckless driving charges, police said.
"Mr. Snowman is very lucky that more serious property damage or injury to a pedestrian or fellow driver did not occur," said Officer Claus. "However, his holiday season will be significantly less cheery this year as he faces potential jail time and fines. We hope that he can be a lesson to anyone that may consider drinking and driving during the holidays."
