Arrested for DWI three times, a Metairie man might have been impaired again when he smashed into a car on Airline Drive over the weekend, then drove off. The suspect was taken into custody Friday night in the 800 block of Linden Street in Metairie as he tried to hide his damaged blue pickup truck beside a house, according to his arrest report.
The crash occurred minutes earlier and about a half-mile away at Airline Park Boulevard, according to a State Police report. The other driver told the investigating trooper she was waiting at the traffic light when a blue pickup truck hit her from behind.
While investigating the crash, the trooper overheard a Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office radio dispatcher describing a call from a Linden resident that someone was trying to hide a blue truck on the side of a house, the arrest report said. A deputy held the suspect, later identified as Ranna, until the trooper arrived.
The trooper said he did not detect any smell of alcohol on Ranna but noticed the suspect was shaking, stuttering and unsteady. He performed poorly on the field sobriety test, the traffic report said.
Ranna’s blood alcohol content measured 0.0 percent. But when questioned, he admitted taking the anti-anxiety medication Xanax, the muscle relaxant Soma and Roxicodone, a pain reliever, the traffic report said. A urine sample was taken and sent to the State Police crime laboratory.
The trooper also found an alcohol ignition interlock device on his vehicle, the arrest report said. Such devices are designed to prevent a car engine from starting if an alcohol-impaired driver is behind the wheel.
The suspect was booked at the parish jail in Gretna with third-offense DWI, vehicular negligent injuring and two counts of hit-and-run driving, the arrest report said. He was released the same day on a $26,000 bond.
Yet this was at least his fourth DWI arrest, according to court records.
If you or someone you know has been arrested for driving drunk, call Harmon Smith & Vourvoulias at 504.717.2093 immediately for a free consultation. Our lawyers will provide you with the advice and counsel you need in order to protect your rights.
