By Sarah Nigbor

RIVER FALLS – A St. Paul man is facing a felony OWI charge after crashing into a downtown River Falls building and fleeing the scene.

Douglas Lorne Dow, 34, posted a $10,000 signature bond Aug. 9 in Pierce County Circuit Court on felony OWI-fourth and possess drug paraphernalia charges. If convicted, he faces up to six years in prison and/or fines up to $10,000. According to the complaint: Officers responded at 10:17 p.m. Aug. 8 to 101 E. Maple St. for a hit and run to a building. The complainant reported a silver sedan had struck the building, then fled northbound on North Main Street before turning left to go west on Division. Police found car debris on the sidewalk and a crack in the building’s paint. Along with silver paint flakes, the debris contained a shattered Chevrolet logo.

A witness said he was inside the building when he heard tires squeal out of the alleyway adjacent to the building. Suddenly, the car struck the building, causing it to shake. Another witness said he had partial video of the crash and offered it to police. The next day, another witness contacted police and said Dow had been in Johnnie’s Bar shortly before the crash. He had been visibly intoxicated and somewhat obnoxious. No one knew who he was. Shortly after he left, a customer on the patio heard Dow’s vehicle hit a red 2016 Ford F150. The customer didn’t see the actual impact, but looked up and saw the car against the truck, then watched Dow drive away, at which time he hit the building at 101 E. Maple St.

A River Falls Utilities employee reported seeing a smashed-up vehicle heading west on Maple Street. Officers soon located a crashed 2006 Chevrolet Impala, which was unoccupied, near the River Falls wastewater treatment plant at the end of a dirt road off Apollo Road. The vehicle had heavy front end damage, a flat front passenger tire, numerous cracks in the windshield, cracked rear bumper, and minor damage around the rest of the vehicle.

A K-9 officer responded to the scene and announced his presence, but the driver didn’t respond. As the dog began tracking, he found a shoe, then continued south toward the wood line. At this point, officers heard movement to the southeast and saw a man, later identified as Dow, crawl out from behind a pile of dirt and rocks. Dow had a cut on his face and a bloody nose.

An ambulance transported Dow to River Falls Area Hospital, during which time he expressed consternation over the crash. He also told EMS he had smoked marijuana a couple of hours before the crash. Dow was unable to perform field sobriety tests, but smelled strongly of alcohol. Police obtained a warrant and hospital staff took a sample of Dow’s blood.

Dow agreed to answer some questions and told police he wasn’t sure if he had been driving the Impala or not; he also at one point said the vehicle wasn’t his. He didn’t know where he was going and thought he was in St. Paul. He also wasn’t sure if he’d been driving on a roadway. Police transported him to Pierce County Jail.

During the vehicle search, officers found a glass pipe on the floor near the brake and gas pedals, a plastic baggie of marijuana in the center console, two other glass pipes, a backpack containing pepper spray, two shotgun shells, two spent shotgun shells, a rifle, an empty Rolling Rock beer can on the front passenger floorboard, a box of .223 ammunition, along with a white round pill in a plastic baggie. Fresh blood was also located on the passenger seat.

Court records show three previous OWI convictions: Two in Minnesota (Sept. 19, 2009 and Jan. 20, 2015) and one in St. Croix County (Aug. 3, 2017). He also has a .02 BAC restriction when driving.

Dow is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing in Pierce County Circuit Court at 11 a.m. Sept. 27.