KENT COUNTY, Mich. — Freshman State Representative Bryan Posthumus told police he did not remember rolling his vehicle in a crash Friday night in Ada Township.
The 36-year-old admitted to driving drunk in a press release the next day.
READ: State Rep admits to driving drunk in crash
Posthumus, a Republican representing East Grand Rapids along with the townships of Grand Rapids, Plainfield, Cannon, Courtland, Nelson, Oakfield, and Spencer, says his blood alcohol content level was .13%, well above the state's .08% legal limit.
FOX 17 filed a Freedom of Information Request for the report filed by the Kent County Sheriff's Office. The heavily redacted 7-page document reveal Posthumus was traveling on McCabe Avenue between 4 Mile and McCabe Court when he crashed around 6:15 p.m. The deputies noted the two-lane road is completely straight in that stretch, and the weather was clear.
According to the report, another driver reported Posthumus to dispatchers, saying a gray Jeep was all over the road, including the shoulder and in the way of on-coming traffic just minutes before the crash.
A crew from the Ada Fire Department was first on the scene, finding the Jeep on its wheels off the road. Based on the path left by the vehicle, investigators determined Posthumus went off the road into the ditch before smashing into a tree and rolling.
Posthumus was the only one in the vehicle. He refused medical treatment at the scene.
Deputies from Kent County interviewed the state rep. at the scene, determined he was operating while intoxicated and arrested Posthumus. During that interview, Posthumus told deputies he could not remember his vehicle rolling over.
Following a chemical test at the Kent County Jail, Posthumus was released to the hospital for evaluation. He is scheduled to be arraigned on one count of operating while intoxicated on May 21 and remains out of custody.
FOX 17 is taking an in-depth look into Posthumus' driving history. The 36-year-old admitted in the release he had previously driven drunk in January of 2013.
According to his driving record obtained through the Secretary of State's Office, Posthumus has just the one previous OWI conviction from January 12, 2013. His license was suspended from April 26, 2013 to May 25, 2013, and then remained restricted until October 22, 2013.
Posthumus also has several minor speeding tickets from 2007 to 2009; a number of infractions for no proof of insurance and registration violations; and one other crash dated November 16, 2018, involving two other cars. No injuries were reported in that crash, though Posthumus admitted to not having proof of insurance at the time of that crash.
Based on Secretary of State records, Posthumus can currently drive on a 625G permit. Under state law, Posthumus' license should have been destroyed by deputies once his blood alcohol level was found to be over .08%. Drivers facing drunk driving charges are given a paper 625G permit that allows them to continue driving while their case moves through the legal system.
